In 1970
      my parents
           took me
to the Red River Exhibition.

They had a petting zoo there.

Not your average
petting zoo

The animals were
exotic.

There was
      a hippopotamus


for instance.

There was
a tapir.

a tapir,


    in case
      you didn't know
is a
   south
    american
      ungulate

of mottled

            complexion.

And I


a timid boy
      dared,

despite my fear,

to touch






      its bum

I can still




      feel it.