[Julie Steiner]

Shades of Grey

White Rhinos? They're not white. The word
for "wide" in Africaans, misheard,
is how these wide-mouthed grazers came
to bear a title so absurd.

Black Rhinos' hue is just the same
as that of White ones, though their name
was picked to keep the two unblurred.
A blunder. Who deserves the blame?

Regardless, here's a handy tip:
Black Rhinos use a beak-shaped lip
to browse; White Rhinos, previous-
ly mentioned, use a broader grip.

Judge by skin-tone, miss the bus;
judge by mouthings, rarely slip.
(And not just useful to discuss
whenever you see a rhinoceros.)