If you ever go to the zoo
Then I promise you
That you won't be very glad
Indeed, you'd become so sad
Don't be fooled by children's laughter
Don't believe those talks and smiles
Most of them are very good actors
They do it each day a thousand times
In every cage you'll find a story
I advise you not to ask
Because you'd hear about lost glory
And you'd see the face behind the mask
When you see the lion you won't resist
And you will listen to what he says
He'll tell you about the golden days
When he was the only king of the forest
When he used to run, free in the wild
When he used to play like an innocent child
He'll tell you about the preys he hunted
He'll tell about the things he wanted
He will describe you how he was caught
How he was sold, and how he was bought
How he feels behind the bars
When he's alone, watching the stars
Of course he'll tell you about his wife
About his daughters and his sons
And how he lost that beautiful life
When they attacked him with their guns
"Listen to me, and listen well
I promise you I'll leave this hell
I will run away from this zoo
Even if it's the last thing I'd do
I'm old, I'm tired, I'm not very strong
But I miss the woods, where I belong"
*****
What I saw in the zoo
Gave me a big shock
I didn't believe it could be true
When I first read it in that book
I couldn't see anymore cages
I couldn't read anymore pages
But I learned something I didn't know
That lions are kings wherever they go!
May 2000
