The Lion Queen

I am part of an onlin weekly Poetry Challenge, and this week's theme is 'addiction'. Here is what I wrote:

The Lion Queen

She was addicted to lions

she started watching 'The Lion King' at four
that was her gateway
'started watching' because
four year olds can watch
beloved movies every day and twice onSundays

she loved everything about that movie
but especially she loved the lions
and she loved everything about the lions
but especially she loved their manes

Those manes!
how they captured her child's mind
she became obsessed with them and wanted to know them more
what did they smell like?
she wondered and wondered.
she wanted to bury her head in the mane of a lion
and smell

From there it was monthly visits to the Safari Park
her parents indulged her
it was a sacrifice; those parks aren't cheap
and they had their fill of them after one or two visits
but it was rare to see a child so fixated on something at such a young age
and who knows? They may have had a Jane Goodall on their hands

but the Safari Park only filled her with more longing
she couldn't get close enough
couldn't touch the lions
smell their manes

so she moved to Africa
she quit her job, spent all her money
set up a tent, and began living near the lions

The lions sensed there was nothing to fear from her
nothing to lose by letting her be among them
so she stayed with the lions
and each night she buried her head in the mane of the pride leader
and smelled
and dreamed dreams no human sounds entered

A group came from Hollywood
they wanted to make a reality show about her
she sent them away
they had nothing to offer her, nothing that interested her
they were merely vulgar, and repellant

after a few years she no longer could be easily recognized as human
not a lion either
she was a singular creature of this Earth

and then one day
the lions consumed her

the way of all addictions