One desk separates
two pens of different breeds,
the popular species and the rest….

The fox is sly, her claws tapping
on the desk as she draws another one of her doodles,
looking up once in a while to make sure
nobody views the illustration

A dog from the popular pen
struts up to the fox and
pants and barks joyfully
meaning to compliment the fox’s work

An owl’s feathers ruffle from turning
another page in her latest novel
she shifts her eyes from person to person
and returns to her book

The kitten from the popular pen
giggles and meows
at her best friend, the mouse,
pawing at her jokes

A bear growls across the classroom
at the horse, whose boots
are click-clack-clunking across
the floor as she complains to the Zookeeper

And in the corner
the little unsocial, yet beautiful butterfly
flutters her wings and glances
at the fox, who winks and smiles back

The goldfish, in her own little
aquarium, is asking the Zookeeper
another question about the
instructions on the board

The Zookeeper quiets them all
then the bell rings,
and the popular pen runs out the door
like a herd of cattle

The fox is the last to leave,
dropping a picture she drew
of the class in the doorway
for the Zookeeper to find