When the giant fell
It stirred up life
In the woods
A noise
For deaf ears.

All the animals,
Birds and bees
Rejoiced;
Finally, a feast
To last them
Many winters.

Along came a spider
Down his web
To enshroud
The beast’s
Finger.

Sealed it in silk,
Claimed it
At once,
Marked it
With a number.

The tiger seized
The beast’s neck,
Fearing the fallen
Might rise again.

Eagles hunted the eyes,
You see,
For they carried
His days
Beneath those lids.

Hopes and dreams,
Beautiful scenes,
Tasted so good,
Couldn’t care less
To share.

A gorilla beat the chest
Of the beast
A drum to summon
Those who hadn’t heard
The news.

“Here lived the heart,
You know!”
That’s where it will hurt
Him the most.

The bees stung his ear
Hived its wax,
And buzzed in queenly praise
Till silence turned a deaf ear.

A rhino tickled his heel,
Hoping
Even thick skin
Could feel a thing.

A lion found a nose,
A cave to call his own.
He breathed a sigh of relief
When no one came close.

The stomach was for vultures,
Intestines for burrowers,
Infested flesh
Spoke of lowly life.

Blood was shared
By kindred beings,
Life no one knew
Existed.

Many birds came to rest
Where no one would
Force them
To fly away.

Hyenas laughed as
They feasted on his brain.
They thought
It would make them wiser.

Owls waited
For the sun to drop
To pick their takeaways
From what was left.

Hippos pretended
To kiss the giant
And called it love
At first sight.

The other felines
Cut his tongue
To keep the town’s talk
All to themselves.

Giraffes went
For only what they could see,
A high-class
Way to live.

They chewed his hair,
But it tasted like air.
And yet they didn’t
Leave him be.

An elephant struggled
To remember
Where it had seen
The fallen man before.

Giants have been falling
All along
Only to be consumed
By the life around.

A cock and hen
Cock-a-doodled again
At the first sign
Of light,

As the giant let
Another party begin
Without making
A sound.