Tuesday, July 2, 2019

CATS IN ZANZIBAR (r)

I had my doubts; Thoreau had written that 

“It is not worth the while to
go round the world

To count the cats in Zanzibar,” but why not?

Wherever you go, you find yourself waiting –

On edge sometimes, glancing at your watch –

Perhaps the world was impatient for my arrival

In  Zanzibar, to start counting its cats.


Zanzibar, even now, is not reached in a day

I'd arranged rooms for myself and a job

Folding towels at the old Persian Baths.

The cats came to be counted when I got off work

(Some insisted they be counted more than once;

I never argued with them on this).

Holidays I counted the Zanzibar Leopard

Not hard; there are only six left

But they seemed pleased when I came by.

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