“Henri Rousseau,” by Nadia Luke
May 17, 2016
Henri Rousseau
On the forest floor, the trees
growing with bananas and peaches.
A flower in the distance is as pink as a sunset
flying away and the light blue and gray sky
is like a fan trying to blow its way out of trouble.
I’m telling you there is more to this jungle than
meets the eye. My senses can tell you I’m hearing
the moaning and groaning from the buffalo skin.
Crying for freedom when the tiger claw
comes in for a treat.
The glistening glare from the tiger’s yellow bright
eyes is telling me that he is hungry.
Nadia Luke wrote this poem while a student at View Ridge Elementary School, with WITS Writer-in-Residence Kathleen Flenniken. Nadia opened for a SAL Presents event with wildlife photographer Florian Schulz at Benaroya Hall on April 28th, 2016.