The Lincoln Park Zoo

The most fabulous picture I ever took of Big Cuter and The Bride happened there.

They were smiling and looking wide eyed because a pigeon had just pooped into Seret's long, luscious, curly, tangle of hair and I was taking pictures instead of helping her clean it out.

 

Thirty years later, all on my own, I could find the restrooms

still behind the sundial, inside, and down the stairs,

and I could watch the pretty pink birds for as long as I wanted

without having to explain why they have orange feathers

or why I insist that they are pink.

 

I can watch the camels recline 

and admire their grace as they lower themselves, slowly and carefully placing first one hump and then the other on the ground, in the shade

or in a pool of water, clear enough to reflect the sunlight 

and there was no reason to move on until I wanted to see something else.

 

Like the apes' indoor/outdoor habitat.

The indoor part is the white building on the right.

I like the swings and the netting and the greenery outside.

They are magnificent creatures, 

alarmingly like ourselves.

I moved on, unwilling to think deep thoughts.

 

I found a bench next to Hans Christian Andersen

opened a novel, and watched families and lovers and animals on leashes.

 

It was a beautiful afternoon.