tiger prince

i went to the tiger exhibit at the zoo today
he was white
a strange color for a tiger to be

maybe he took umbrage with my thoughts
or maybe he smelled my coward’s heart
he looked up

and he saw me
and he saw me
and he saw me

for the first time in my life
i felt so naked
“please give me some of your stripes”

but he only smiled
before walking out of the exhibit
and getting on a plane to Boston

By: Rachel Kelly

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Rachel Kelly, at the time they wrote this piece, lived and toiled in Southern Indiana. Perhaps they still do.