In Don’t Feed the Animals, poet and nurse practitioner Kate Earley delivers a haunting spoken-word piece about empathy, control, and what it means to be “safe enough to love.”

Through the metaphor of the zoo, this performance explores how care can turn to captivity — how survival, hunger, and gentleness are reshaped for the comfort of those watching.

Part elegy, part indictment, Don’t Feed the Animals asks what happens to the wild parts of us when they’re cleaned up for display.

It’s a quiet roar — measured, aching, and unflinchingly human.

Copyright ©2025 Kate Earley

Music: September Song by Agnes Obel

Written: October 15, 2025