The Lion
Since kindergarten
my son's class has practiced
for when a lion
enters the building.
They have a safe wall
they crouch against.
A closet some of the children
fit into.
The lion roams
wild in the hall.
Races up the stairs.
When the lion
is at the door
they are taught
to think of emptiness.
Darkness.
A real lion not
some yellow-furred animal.
Copyright Credit: Megan Snyder-Camp, "The Lion" from The Gunnywolf. Copyright © 2016 by Megan Snyder-Camp. Reprinted by permission of Bear Star Press..
Source: The Gunnywolf (Bear Star Press., 2016)