Through the pane

The lion and you

How did the lion know to look you in the eyes
when communicating his thoughts?

“Beyond these bars and this cage,
out in the world where I reign,
I am indomitable,
I am superior to you and I would decide
whether you lived or died.
Despite this glass between us,
and this cage that divides us,
the same still holds true
and I am power over you.
You do not own me,
nor do you have a right
to behold my magnificence.
Only the wilds may observe my majesty,
and humanity does not deserve my magistery.
In spite of my conquered state,
I am power forlorn,
power eternal and power (once)
if only (ever again) symbolically”.

The only way to communicate so deeply is through a time-defying, space-nullifying, interlocking oneness of souls as defined by eye contact. How could the lion know that beyond the separation of that pane of glass your respective thoughts would be one? How did the lion know to look you in the eyes?

You were filled with awe as trepidation struck, then you dropped your jaw in disbelief of what had just befallen. The lion; this terrible beast, this king of the jungle, this most fierce and wild animal driven only by hunger and survival, this creature capable of swiping off your head in one manoeuvre of its massive and unruly paw, had shown you a side that hitherto was thought impossible. The lion had shown you conscious self-awareness and that he possessed the knowledge of what had happened to him.

“I have encroached upon you,
and therefor am indebted unto you.
There are no words to convey remorse
from a society that has consumed
without thought or recourse,
and worse still, most do not think twice:
for if a grain of rice can grow to feed a family
then a field of rice can grow to feed a city,
and we will knock down the trees
and continue to spread this disease
once called humanity,
and habitats be damned,
the lion cannot stand in the light of progress.
Progression is not without inevitable regression,
as I stare into your eyes,
benevolent lion,
I stand to realize
that my convenience is not equal to your freedom,
it is lesser than;
and that my inherent need for speed
that serves to constantly feed
an ever expanding belly
is the very contrast to life itself.
I understand that the expansion
of the human race at such a rapid pace
inexorably mean extinction.”

Then you thanked the mighty lion for the wordless conversation, but still begged the question: how did he know to look into your eyes?