Monday May 20, 2013
Giant Panda, 1951 (population boom in China)Male, 93 kg
Terror
Follows my footsteps
The Sounds
Animal cries
Earsplitting roars
of the Man-things
the Bulldozers
Old Man trees
Falling
Crashing
Groaning
The Smells
Smoke
Fire
Dust
The Sights
Destruction
I flee
Heart
Pounds
Boom-boom, boom-boom
I pant
Paws
Pound
Boom-boom, boom-boom
I am
Terrified
When will this
Ever End?
I still
Run
Flee
Race
for my Life.
the Dozers
the Machines
the Beasts
of Destruction.
they Follow
Not too far away
they Chase me.
Beautiful Jungle
Exotic Forest
Before them
Only
Destruction
Behind.
Pandas
Are not Made
for Running.
The Smoke
The Metallic Smell
They invade
They are Powerful.
I am weak
Against Them
I run away
From Them.
I slide panting
Behind a bush
One that hasn’t
Been Destroyed
A refuge
A place where I rest
And watch
The Stream
Clean water
Crisp water
Fresh water
Where I
Spent my Mornings
Drinking.
The Bamboo Patch
Soft place
Safe place
My place
Where I
Slept.
The Tree
Tall tree
Mighty tree
Wise tree
Where I
Clung to Watching
The Rise of Dawn.
The Stream
Clean water
Dozer wheels splashing in
Tainting it
Dirtying it.
Filthy.
The Bamboo Patch
My place
Dozer jaws
Giant
Crushing
Metal
Jaws
Crunch, crunch
the Patch
Is no More.
Gone.
The Tree
Wise tree
Dozer teeth
Splintering its bark
It falls
With a mighty Creak
A mighty Groan
Toppled and Killed
Its last Gasp of Air.
Dead.
I watch
As all that I have known
All that I am
Destroyed
Disintegrated
Into Nothing
Just particles of the Dust
That floats around
in the Air.
The Monsters are Coming
The Monsters are Coming
Unnatural
Horrific
The Machines.
In front,
Life.
In back,
Death.
One Machine
Suddenly Stops
I wonder Why
Are they Done For?
Will they Leave?
The neighboring Machine
Halts Too
They seem
Connected.
The Aliens
The Man-things
The Humans
They yell
Their sounds
Chill my blood
I do not understand
“Why did you stop”
they say.
“There’s a baby monkey in front of the dozer”
they say.
I Listen
I Hear
As the Forest Grows Silent
As the Only Calls
Are of the small creature
The Golden Monkey
Injured
In front of the Dozer
Trying to get away
Sobbing
Wailing
Screaming
Trying.
It is only a baby.
It is in Pain
But it can Survive.
Its mother
Calls
Frantic
Wild
Distress
Panic
The Humans do not Know.
The Humans cannot Sense.
First Human
“We did not sign up for this job to be humane”
it says.
“It pays. Think of your family”
it says.
“The monkey is probably an orphan”
it says.
“It limps and can hardly move”
it says.
“It won’t live long”
it says.
“Give it a couple seconds, then just go”
it says.
“We have to doze ten thousand acres in eight days”
it says.
It Comforts
the Other
Are they done?
I think
Eagerly.
Then the Bulldozers
Begin to Move
Again
Continuing
Their Destruction
And the small Monkey
Golden Monkey
Wild
Frantic
Chatters
of the Mother
Its own Screams
Wails
Wails of Terror
of Pain
Screams
Wails
Sobs
Anguish
Pain
Terrible
Terrible
Pain
and
Terror
Such
Horror
And then
Silence.
The whole Forest
is Silent.
Sharp Tang
Metal Tang
Blood Tang
I have no Hope here
It is Time
to Leave
This Place.
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