Reinaldo was the name they gave the great white elephant
Who came to clear the jungles around Sao Paulo
A clever notion that because Reinaldo was born in the jungle
Any jungle would do just fine, Brazilian or Siamese made no difference
Just as clever was the notion that because I was a black man, educated
I would do just fine directing other black men to do work, English or Portuguese made no difference
Was I truly so much a fool, twice over?

Reinaldo occasionally was afflicted with slothfulness
Some of the men thought it was from lack of **** and whip
I was of a mind that it was due to lack of companionship
It was costly enough to ship one giant beast across a great sea
I left a wife, in Maryland, whom I never loved and who never loved me
I admit before the plan was in motion I never considered that Reinaldo could have a family
Sometimes, I wonder, did he have a wife who never loved him?

Loneliness became a common theme in our new home away from home
And Reinaldo and I became friends, at least I thought of him fondly
As far as I could say, of all the men he responded best to me
At times it seemed a load of lumber was hauled as a personal favor
For the handler too soft to handle with fear and anger
But as much as loneliness was a theme, so was change, and death

The lifespan of an elephant compares to the lifespan of men
Were this scheme of mine to have worked as desired
I could have sent for a cow, and made Reinaldo a sire
Soon it was revealed that slothfulness was a symptom of an elephant young, healthy and wise
Who sensed not his own, but a friend's imminent demise
Now I am left to wonder how Reinaldo will fare in a world stranger than I could have known
His softest handler and only friend bedridden, waiting for my disease to take its final toll

When I look into your eyes
I see the jungle
When I watch you go mad
I fear for my life
When I see you fall in love
I’m inspired

Don’t come near me
You’re going to catch me up
In your whirlwind fury
I’m afraid I’m afraid

Do you hear the drum beat?
Drums of war
I hit the floor
And I’m afraid

I look up to your face,
Oblivious, you gaze down,
Every cell a brilliant shade of blue,
Eyes reflecting a greenish hue;

You don't realise were you are,
Fields of colour you ignore,
African sunsets I know you would adore,
People, places you never even glance at,
Too engrossed in adverts- adverse to books and that;

This haven you think you've created,
It's really a jungle- endless and endless,
Constantly chopping down trees,
Searching for a way out,
But forgetting to open your eyes:

Loosing yourself in an electronic jungle,
loosing yourself in your phone,
loosing yourself in your selfie- self harm; self loath; self hate;

Look up,
Get up,
Move,
Mabey you wont feel quite so...
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lonely jungle path,
birds on high trees sound alarmed;
foot falls of darkness!

Satellite dishes line the sky
Sending signals and on standby
Can't see the horizon
Many buildings rising
Concrete jungle horrify

King of the jungle
Roaring at its fearful prey
Watching through the trees

At the crack of dawn, in an open jeep
We sit, as chirpy as the birds
Our eyes wide open, ears perked
Waiting for a call to be heard

We begin our journey, full of hope
The thrill of adventure in the air,
Binoculars at the ready
To meet a tiger's deadly glare

We canter through the dense forest
Through the shallow river and the whispering trees
Past the gentle deer and the mighty elephant
And a sense of danger in the breeze

We wander along the gravel path  
Beneath langoors swinging from the branches,  
And from the grass, the jackal watches,
Patiently resting on its haunches

We drive through twists and turns and ups and downs
The elusive beast refused to be found...
This time our efforts were for nought,
But we'll see him next time around!