The Last Elephant

Cherry

By marandina

Wed, 12 May 2021
  • 4288 reads
26 comments
 

Forged in bucolic harmonies,

an interdependence born of millennia,

a symbiosis of flora and fauna,

when humanity lived as one,

in a world of unassumed co-existence.

 

Those halcyon days of innocence now forgotten,

causation and hunger justify an apocalypse,

as sprawling, burgeoning populations

mean concrete replaces trees and grass,

urban jungles of steel and glass.

 

Poachers steal keratin horns and living ivory,

finless sharks sink below weeping waves,

bourgeoisie tastes demand tiger lives,

magic and potions ground from bones,

ancient incantations cast from animal souls.

 

The caressing canvass of the Earth,

is ripped, burned and shredded,

Amazonian lungs reduced to ash.

A funeral pyre, a lament of indigenous tribes,

as one final, communal breath is exhaled.

 

Paymasters fund savannah game reserves,

selling hunting passes priced in blood,

as this terminus of time ticks to a final stand

for the lascivious safari etched in greed,

wordless victims become the hunted last elephant.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/04/22/africa/zimbabwe-elephants-hunting-intl-hnk/index.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56989711

Image free to use at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2010-kabini-tusker-bark.jpg

Certificate PG
Poem
Miscellaneous Poems
Nature

Comments

Submitted by onemorething on

Powerful piece, Paul. :)

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading, Rachel :)

Thanks for the cherries, ABC Eds. Much appreciated. Paul

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Well Done!

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading this, Di. Paul :)

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

As well as greed, and carelessness, there also is superstition leading to bad care of the environment then  – re the tigers' bones etc. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading, Rhiannon. I think it's mainly old Chinese medicine and myths that result in tigers being killed for various "treatments".

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

I wish some Arab billionaire would buy up every part of the rain forest and order that it never be poached or chopped down, I know I would if I had an endless pot of money. You wisely describe how we're loosing so much to money and greed that's not used wisely. When will humans learn to respect this beautiful planet we're living on and stop destroying.

You've managed to cover every aspect of loss. Influential poem indeed Paul.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading, Jenny. I think the underlying root cause of many problems is overpopulation. There needs to be a new economic formula for growth that is based on static or maybe reduced overall, global numbers so that demand and supply can be aligned. We need to find a way to live in harmony with other creatures before they all become extinct due to human demands.

There are other issues like greed, of course.

Thanks again. Paul

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

It is such a complicated issue, and pushing further and further into the habitats of other species is not the answer to any of our problems. In fact it may make them worse -  it facilitates the 'jumping' of diseases to humans from other animals and could lead to more future pandemics. Also we just don't have the right to deny habitats to other species and indeed to other humans whose way of life is radically different from our industrialised one.

Interesting and thought provoking piece, Paul.

 

Submitted by marandina on

Yes, exactly that Jane. And that is what's happening due to global population growth. The disease aspect of increased prevalence of Zoonotic viruses is another consideration post Covid as you say. Time to start fixing some of this stuff. Thanks for reading, Paul :)

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

 

One of the tragedies of the pandemic is the loss in tourism to animal reserves. Foreigners paying to see wildlife was the only reason people saw for keeping those animals alive, and for governemts to pay for rangers to protect against poachers. So while the decrease in carbon emmissions is good, it is not good in other ways. That the Earth has lost almost all elephants to us, that is the elephant in the room

 

 

Submitted by marandina on

Hi Di:
Agreed re the Pandemic and the catastrophic impact on tourism and safaris/wildlife tours etc. This is the reason cited for countries like Zimbabwe granting hunting licences (see link below poem). It's argued that this income pays to preserve wildlife in general. It's commonplace in South Africa to breed lions so that they can be hunted by the trophy seekers willing to pay so that other lions can be saved. I struggle with any situation that involves wildlife being killed for sport. There just has to be a better way that doesn't include killing animals we should be co-existing with.

 

Submitted by celticman on

so many animals. So many species (humans apart) going under, as you show 

 

Submitted by marandina on

That's about right, CM. Thanks for reading. Paul

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

a very powerful poem - I hope this gets the reads it deserves - thank you!

 

Submitted by marandina on

Ah thank you for reading it. For anyone following this thread, Ricky Jervais regularly names and shames trophy hunters on social media. Paul

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Paul

Again I am amazed and awed by your writing expertese. Such an important subject. Very well done.

Jean Day

Submitted by marandina on

Hi Jean. Thanks again for reading and your lovely (and very generous) comment. Thank you. Paul

 

Submitted by David Kirtley on

Good poem! You deal with some very profound and difficult issues, and express your feelings very well.

Submitted by marandina on

Ah thanks for reading it, David. Paul

 

Submitted by hilary west on

Hi marandina,

Your poem is very true and very topical. It is the tragedy of our time.

hilary   crying

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading, Hilary. Much appreciated. Paul

 

Submitted by Penny4athought on

A Powerful, chilling truth, "Amazonian lungs reduced to ash'. You have hit on every cause and sorrow and any who read this should feel effected by these truths. Thinking beings supposedly of higher intelligence, should have an immediate empathy reflex to all the information we have been given and what we have seen and yet, it would seem, greed nullifies all other emotions. Especially, when asked to consider the need for balance and coexistence with nature, most have choosen profit. It’s cruel to know one cannot stop the masses constant destruction, and even crueler to know, there is still a chance to stop this. Those who try, those who change thier lifestyle are exemplary, but still too few. Those who try, those who change their lifestyle are exemplary, but still too few. I do hope everyone on this planet will have that needed epiphany to make a change, and soon.

Penny4athought

Submitted by marandina on

Ah thanks for reading, Penny. You have that right that there is still time even if it is running out. Must catch up with your Willow's Tale again. Leave it with me...

 

Submitted by Hades502 on

That was done really well, quite moving. You definitely have a way with words. I am going back and reading some of your older stuff. I haven't seen much new stuff from you recently. This is really good, Paul.

GGHades502

Submitted by marandina on

Cheers Hades. Thanks for the reads. Paul