“The tradition

Jan 22, 2024 | newyorker.com | Jericho Brown |“The tradition

People who romanticize an AfricaThey’ve never seenLike to identify themselvesWith lions. It’s all roar and hunt,Quick fucks and blond manes. People love the word pride. Haven’t you seen the parades? Everybody adores a lionBut me. I want to be a giraffe. I’m already tall and long-necked. In the real Sahara, a giraffe beatsA lion’s ass every dayOn Instagram. I’ve seenA giraffe shake the leaping catOff its back and toss it like litter.