Where the Wild Things Are

While we no longer roam the Serengeti, and most of us never did, we are all wild, wild about this new oasis we call home.

I was not the first to arrive, but somehow I was made the leader.  I was happy to accommodate and fill the position because it offered me something I had never been privileged to have before, contact with others of my kind.

To breath fresh air once again, that was my first thought as my container was opened and the twinkling stars in the gallery sky greeted me.  It had been so long, and I was so tired that I could not truly appreciate how far I had come.

 Confined in a glass and pewter cage for more years than I cared to remember, I watched life pass me by. Surrounded by crystal figurines and articles of whimsy, I watched helplessly as wall calendars came and went.  As seasons changed, I continued my isolated existence with only the occasional gentle touch of a human hand.

Things in my vantage point varied occasionally, visitors came and went but I remained as I was, perched dangerously high on a cliff made of glass.  Then one day my life was turned upside down. I was removed from my crystal cave and thrown into a dark dungeon and that is where I remained until I was released into my current habitat.

And there I was, amongst my own for the first time that I could remember.  No longer in a cage, I felt like part of a community.  I was greeted every morning by happy smiling human faces who moved me on a regular basis and allowed me to visit with others like myself, who were delighted to find themselves in this sanctuary.

One of the first residents to greet me was Rhino.  He had arrived just days before and was happy to find another to socialize with.  He explained that he had been known in his former community as a leader, but his massive tusks had posed a threat to some of the young humans residing there, and rather than remove his striking attributes, he was boxed and sent to this safe haven.

Rhino introduced me to Giraffe who has spent her life until this point in the care of a young human who had cherished and coveted her.  The young human had received Giraffe as a gift at birth and had kept her close by for years, but had recently been forced to downsize for economic reasons and could no longer care for Giraffe. It was a sad parting, but Giraffe was happy to have been delivered to such a fine home.

And the introductions continued.  There was Dodo, who had recently been featured in a prominent position during Holiday House and was confident that he would find a permanent home soon and the Polar Bears, who had just awoken from hibernation and were anxious to find a new habitat before the next winter.  Just a short distance away I found Roadrunner, who could not be in one place long enough to really chat with anyone and young Leo, a thin wiry cub who I have become a mentor to.

 At the gates to our empire, I saw Flamingo, so statuesque and poised, standing guard, anxious to greet the next visitor to the gallery and Ram bowed gracefully in meditative prayer, instilling a sense of peace and calm throughout the land.   

This is my kingdom.  I am its leader and I live here surrounded by things of startling beauty and style. Here is where the wild things are.