The zoo lion, a majestic beast,
born and raised in a zoo,
living out his life in a zoo,
in safety and comfort,
well fed and tended,
without a care in the world,
and yet, he paces. He paces
relentlessly without purpose,
back and forth, back and forth,
searching for something...

For deep within his magnificent heart
he instinctively feels a gnawing,
as though he knows
there should be more.
For aeons past his ancestors
lorded over the African plain,
fighting and killing,
surviving by cunning and strength,
living a shorter, more brutal existence,
but reigning as king!

He carries the genes from centuries past
to make him a true champion,
the lord and master of his domain,
but this potential goes untested,
unfulfilled, wasted, locked in confinement,
due to mere accident of birth.
And so, he paces, paces,
seeking a portal in time
that might transport him back,
back to past glory,
back to the life he was bred to live,
back to find his lost heritage,
back to the chance to prove he is a lion.