Stomping grounds,
for the fickle gazelle,
but held fastidiously by,
the aggressive lion of Type A.
The dance is waged,
throughout the day for,
the only water source worthy,
of peak paper cup performance.
Hyenas pounce on,
the shredded leftovers,
of juicy gossip entrails,
gorging on the lust for others’ lives.
The stately giraffe,
above the fray,
looks down upon others,
but bends low just the same.

The giddy warthog,
barrels through,
with great nonchalance,
just happy to participate.
Finally, the great baboon,
with red, swollen bottom emerges,
earnestly seeking adoration,
unknowingly the butt of the joke.

Jason de Koff is an associate professor of agronomy and soil science at Tennessee State University. He lives in Nashville, TN with his wife, Jaclyn, and his two daughters, Tegan and Maizie. He has published in a number of scientific journals and recently had poetry accepted in literary journals. His short story, “The Gods of Indianapolis”, was published in 2014 in the Mythic Indy anthology published by Well Done Marketing.