Giraffe
In the car, my brother and I each were the first to see the brown bear billboards advertizing the Catskill Game Farm, and then the first to see the spotted yellow giraffes at the entrance. Who parked the car and walked us to the gate, I do not remember--just how the two giraffes grew taller the closer we got and my brother took my hand, I jumping up and down, anxious to see the striped zebras and to feed the baby deer.
Grandmother was big then, at 5' she towered over me and I had to wrinkle my nose and scrintch my eyes against the sun to see her. We could see the baby giraffe today when she put the paint away, washed her hands, and ate, she said. She had just painted all the signs at the gate. How did she get way up there? She jumped! and, silly, used a ladder.
We get crackers for the animals with pennies she gave us--two each. My brother could stand on the concrete step to reach the coin slot and turn the dial--one penny for two. I caught them as they fell. Stacked in our hands like decks of cards,the crackers occupied us-- we had to taste a crumb and run to catch up and then learn to feed through cages without losing our fingers.
I pouted along. I wanted to rush to the baby animals, let them crowd close, get scared and let grandmother rescue me. I wanted to ride next to my brother on the red fire engine and eat cotton candy, not walk so slow . . . but then--the Giraffes! giants! slow in motion, necks like trees swaying, eyes serious and attached to mine--and mother hiding her child behind.
I pulled back while my brother pushed close to see the baby peeking out. Grandmother stopped my retreat by lifting me in one strong arm. With the other she took all but one cracker from my hands and guided that one up to the mother who reached her blue tongue toward me, thick, and--eyes on mine--touched me and won me forever. Giraffe.
(7/9/2012: I needed a happy child poem after my recent moralizing and howling. Enjoy the 1st picture from 1954 and the rest from 2012 in the Philadelphia Zoo. First posted on 4/23/2012 for NaPoWriMo, I revised this prose poem for "Open Link Monday" at Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads.)
What a vivid telling of a memory! If one loves animals, certain ones can become special favorites like this. Wonderful photographs, too!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, your comment on my poem "Relativity" was right on the money. That's exactly what I was going for. Stephen Crane said it best in his short story "The Open Boat", but I have tried my best, too, with my poem. :-)
Thank you very much for the visit and the comment and for "Relativity" and the tip to read "The Open Boat" by Crane!!
DeleteAh, such beautiful pictures of giraffe in fine condition. I am lucky enough to be able to see giraffe on a wild game reserve a half hour drive from home - and that is not something I take for granted.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your memories on Real Toads.
It must be so beautiful where you live! Is it city or country? Wild or tame?
DeleteI love how perfectly attuned the voice is to the five year old character, how a child sees and thinks. This is so lovely to read, especially for animal-lovers. A delight.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your delight!
DeleteAren't they all such lovely creatures. It has always amazed me about the length of their necks. Love to see how they love their babies too.
ReplyDeleteYour grandmother was a great one :) Lovely write, lovely memories.
Thank you, I agree that Giraffes are amazing creations, almost impossible. My Grandmother spent a few seasons as sign painter at the Catskill game farm; and during the year she taught art.
DeleteEnjoyed your childhood happy memories and pictures too ~ Thanks for sharing them ~
ReplyDeleteI like going back there. It is healing as well as fun.
DeleteSusan, I just love poems reminiscing about their childhood. This is a wonderful memory poem, one to pass down to the next generation. How neat that your grandmother took you and your brother to the Catskill Game Farm. Cool grandmother to provide you with such interesting experiences.
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed, Grandmother was an amazing artist, activist, model.
DeletePriceless top photo! Looks like you might have had a sack lunch "picnic" too. Sweet poem.
ReplyDeleteWe did have a picnic lunch! I think Dad had dropped us and lunch off to visit Grandmother at work.
Deletesuch a sweet story. I also remember the thrill of feeding deers in a local zoo.wonderful recounting.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, the children's zoo of baby animals! We were surrounded by fawns.
DeleteAHHHHHH.....today the garden is full of naostalgic moments...give me romance and nostalgia any day of the week. I love the Giraffes too, and we have a small zoo on the outskirts where you can hand fee them and get really close, very cool. Loved this, brightened up my morning.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your zoo too.
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