of zebras

we burn, you and i

the sky grows black roses -

petals roil in ceaseless sweeps,

in smoky luster

thick and rich

while sparse drops splat

we hush under this charcoal sky

you read to me

you are zebra

i feed you from my hand

your stripes chain

into me

caress these

days, sleek as my iris

plain as sky

clear

as a stream in heaven

open mind to see the sunshine

- always true not untrue -

clearly;

nothing crooked;

yet sometimes barely hanging in there

big heads, large and rounded ears, and thick, erect manes make the grevy's zebra appear more mule-like than other zebras. in fact, many experts consider grevy's zebras to be striped asses that are not closely related to other zebras. their coats sport dazzling narrow stripes that wrap around each other in a concentric pattern and are bisected by a black stripe running down the spine. grevy's zebras grow up to nine feet long, weigh up to 990 pounds, and stand up to almost five and a half feet at the shoulder. on average, males are about ten percent larger than females. fossils reveal that grevy's zebras ranged at least to egypt (and perhaps beyond africa) until about 6,000 years ago. in historic times, grevy's zebras were found in parts of ethiopia, kenya, and somalia. due to hunting for their skins and for food, they no longer live in somalia, and their range in ethiopia and kenya is reduced. the total wild population is probably fewer than 6,000 animals. competition with domestic grazing animals, habitat destruction, and human disturbance at critical water holes contribute to their decline. also, poorly regulated ecotourism - especially when vehicles leave roads and disturb the animals - may affect breeding in some parks. better protection and linkages between important park areas are essential for grevy's zebras' survival.

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