Wednesday 10 September 2014

Ice Cream with Jange


The subject of my poem is a rhino called Jange who was orphaned at the age of 6 months. His mother was killed by poachers in Nepal. Unprotected after the loss of his mother the young rhino was attacked by a tiger. You can read his story below and learn why and how he came to be in Vienna Zoo.

In the poem I tried through using the plight of the rhino to bring to the mind of the reader the thought that an orphaned child in a war zone is not only in danger but probably cannot enjoy a simple pleasure like eating an ice cream. But the poem gives hope at least, for like Jange they too may eventually see better times.




I fled from a war's breaking news on TV
and wandered the zoo
for the day. 

One I saw there was Jange, the orphan 
the tiger attacked 
in Nepal,

Bathing in watery mud; 
and in it up to his chin 
in the sun. 

Armed with a cone of ice cream 
I reflected. O lucky is he  
this rhino, like me

At ease in the sun; 
 safe now from the guns 
of the hunt. 






2 comments:

  1. I feel a bit like this Gwil now that I have retired and semi vegetate in the deep country - I am afraid I just let everything flow over my head. Is that so very wrong.

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  2. Good question you ask there Pat. I think what you cite is probably a natural way to be after a certain period of one's life. A friend, 87, I bumped into in town said practically the same thing as you just the other day. And he hadn't even seen Jange the Rhino!

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