A Zoo in the Middle of a Jungle

6 am: I sit with my morning coffee looking around our living room,

breathing in the familiar, catching glimpses of memories among the
decor, absorbing the beauty of the Hibiscus opening its flower petals.

My mind begins drifting in my morning haze

 pondering people’s worlds, their realities

 our responses to their realities

the eyes of a stranger

peering into our

homes our

souls

A full size piano in an apartment.

for my daughter’s musical skills

Books galore filling bookshelves

that almost touch the ceiling.

for my life addiction of reading

and smelling paper in my hands

A jungle of plants settled

in front of sliding glass doors.

for my love of life and flowers

A cat strolls into the room meowing insistently

we think he has an eating disorder
  

A girl is next stumbling in half-asleep

with messy hair, and dreamy eyes.

she still comes and sits on my lap in the morning

even though she’s as big as me- I love it
 

Right behind her, a dog follows with a look of, “I have to pee.”

he has never left her side

when she sleeps since we rescued him.
 

  I fondly smile at my growing daughter and our fury companions.

   Hearing the stranger’s eye perceive my full precious life and decide 

a crammed apartment

to many books

to many animals

to many plants

a zoo in the middle of a jungle

A contagious giggle escapes me infecting my daughter,

we both burst in laughter

I shake my head no.. It isn’t that crammed.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

One Happy Loving Family

Our zoo in the

middle of a

jungle.