Homo Sapiens
Man: Bemedaled circus masterof creation.
Landlord to the tenant beasts
who chase their tails
around the sawdust circle.
Prima donna,
maestro,
star performer
and provider of good fun.
'It's all a matter of mutual trust,'
the program says.
And when trust fails?
— The stinging whip,
the slaughterhouse,
the gun.
First published in Mushroom.