The lady gatekeeper told the tourists
That for what amounted
To two hundred U.S. dollars
In Chinese currency,
They could buy for themselves two minutes
To hold or to hug a baby panda,
And one single camera shot
To capture the moment.

The group decided that the price
Was rather too stiff for their shallow
Pockets so they answered No
In unison and started to walk away.

A little girl cried.
She would not stop bawling
Unless she could hold or hug
And pose for a picture
With the baby panda.

The little girl’s parents couldn’t stand
The sight and promptly parted
With their hard-earned money,
Handing what amounted
To two hundred dollars
In Chinese currency
To the lady gatekeeper
So that their little girl
Could hold or hug and pose
For a picture with the endangered creature.

The little girl stopped crying
When the lady gatekeeper
Brought the baby panda out
For her to hold or to hug
And to pose with,
All in two minutes.

The lady gatekeeper
Smilingly hurried on
To deposit the crisp renminbi bills
Into the safe of the panda center.
Upon her return
She shrieked in alarm
To find all the tourists
Taking turns in holding
And hugging the baby panda
And taking pictures with their
iPhones and other mobile
Devices that went into overdrive
To capture the moment
To post on their social media
Pages for the folks back home.

From Triptych and Collected Poems (New York: 2013)

<<

>>