Conversation with a Burchell Zebra foal and his Mama

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OwlSA
Member Rara Avis

since 2005-11-07

Posts 9347
Durban, South Africa

0 posted 2011-01-25 12:10 PM

CONVERSATION WITH A BURCHELL ZEBRA FOAL AND HIS MAMA
30 March 2002

Little zebra,
I came across you
in a sunny clearing in the forest
you, your mama, and another.

At first I stood and talked
as I have always done
to other zebras at other times …
not knowing …
not knowing what was shimmering on the edge of my universe.

Perhaps it was because I spoke to all of you at first,
though the third was more interested in grazing
and didn’t reply at all,
but Mama listened, assessing me,
and somehow I felt her approval and friendship
and a bonding of mothers.

It was as though she felt it good manners
on my part
not just to charm her baby without
announcing myself and my intentions.
I told her of her beauty
and that Burchell zebras
are my favourites,
and somehow she sensed
that every word I said was true.
I told her how exquisite
her little foal was,
not newborn, but just old
enough to scratch his ear
with his hindhoof
and how adorable that was
but how I was concerned that
Little One may have had earmites,
but then I repeated to her
the voices of my education
which told me that was not an issue
for wild animals
particularly zebras
and she listened to all this
with interest,
twitching each ear independently
in reply
as you did too,
listening to every word.

And I turned to you
and told you how clever you were
and by then, Mama was totally at ease
and I swelled with pride and love and gratitude
for Mama’s trust
and she replied with more ear twitches
and placid deep gaze eyes
and grazed in the summer sun,
trusting,
and gradually
it was mostly you I was talking too,
for the more I talked, the more you listened,
enraptured at my voice
and the tales I told,
Arabian Nights for Zebra Foals,
and Mama listened still
but in the background
as though trusting you too
to know the lessons she’d taught.

I told you how your stripes
flowed up into your mane,
and said for you to know
how smart that looked
to look at Mama’s mane -
and she looked up from her grazing
for a moment.

I told you how God gave you your beautiful stripes
of black and white and shadow brown
in love
as camouflage
in dappled light
to guard you from danger
and you listened and twitched an ear.

I told you of Flicka, my horse,
and details of how horses are different
and of how they are the same
and you twitched your ears
and held your head at times
on one side as though amazed.

We talked and talked and talked
and the sun warmed our different backs
and then the moment came …

You took a few steps towards me
on little zebra feet.
I thought I’d died and gone to Heaven.
I held my breath with bursting joy
for I thought Mama would stop you …
but she didn’t.
She looked up …
and went on grazing.
I thanked her for her trust -
she twitched an ear and looked at me
placidly and accepting,
zebra of the wild she was,
then you and I resumed our conversation.

I felt as though in a dream.
The moments were brighter than the sun.
We talked and talked and our conversation
became more and more intense …
and then …

you took a few more steps towards me,
cautious, as Mama had taught,
but curious and unafraid …
the pinnacle of happiness for me,
for now you were but a Mama-zebra length away.

Your eyes and mine held each other
and we talked and talked of all things
like the beauty of the summer day
and the blue, blue cloudless sky.

I wanted time to stop
and then found I was wrong about the pinnacle of happiness
for it stretched further still …
for you took yet more steps.
I thought my heart would explode with love and trust,
but this time you had crossed the boundary
of Mama’s comfort, but not her trust,
for all she did was to wander a few steps slowly out of sight,
- no call, no fear, no rushing between us, no lashing out at me
with her tiny sharp, sharp hooves -
just a few steps out of sight, knowing you would follow.

But so much gratitude and love and trust had passed
in that golden triangle, that I could not have wished for more.

Thank you my little zebra darling
and not least Mama dear
for the sacred moments
of bonding with a baby zebra
and his Mama
in a conversation
that will take me back
to every word and twitch of ear
at every recall,
and each time I return
to your vast grassland hills and riverine forest home,
I’ll look for you my baby zebra, and your Mama
and when you’ve grown
I’ll search the depths of every zebra’s eyes
and talk my soul deep into his or hers
in the hopes that
it is you
my little zebra foal.

Owl

Sunshine

Administrator

Member Empyrean

since 1999-06-25

Posts 63354
Listening to every heart

1 posted 2011-01-25 01:42 PM

This is a beautifully charming story,
and so you, Diana. Thank you!

JerryPat
Senior Member

since 2010-10-30

Posts 1991
Louisiana/America

2 posted 2011-01-25 01:48 PM

I was there with you as you put forth you love toward the zebra and its young one, Owl. Sometimes in the cosmos there are unseen forces that reach out and give an understanding where understanding would surely not be possible. Thus this day was possible.

~ Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die. ~

OwlSA
Member Rara Avis

since 2005-11-07

Posts 9347
Durban, South Africa

3 posted 2011-01-25 03:03 PM

Thank you, Karilea for your kindness. Every word of it is true.

Thank you, Jerry for being there with me. Every time I think of him and his mama, or read my poem again, I am breathless with the excitement that I felt when I met them. Thank you for understanding about the understanding.

Owl

Spiros Zafiris
Senior Member

since 2002-10-20

Posts 982
Canada

4 posted 2011-01-27 11:12 PM

.hi Owl..that was very enjoyable
and restful; i lost myself til the end
..>>spiros

steavenr
Member Elite

since 2003-11-17

Posts 4058

5 posted 2011-01-28 10:18 AM

ahhh...breath-taking...having never met a Burchell Zebra myself, I feel I can now say, "until now." So very Rex Harrison of you...may I call you Madame Doolittle?

so thoroughly enjoyed

OwlSA
Member Rara Avis

since 2005-11-07

Posts 9347
Durban, South Africa

6 posted 2011-01-28 10:24 AM

Thank you Spiros, for enjoying my zebra soulmates so much.

Thank you Steaven. I didn't get the Rex Harrison part, not knowing much about movie stars, but enough to say oh yes, yes yes, you couldn't call me a better name than Madame Doolittle! I am greatly honoured by that!

Owl

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