On Wild life Protection and Philanthropy from the Depths of the Philadelphia Suburban Environment

Source

 

Last week I tried to wrap my mind around
the plight of animals in Africa, in West Africa:
lions and giraffes, of course, but also pygmy
hippopotami, Diana monkeys and zebra duikers,
West African Manatee, dwarf crocodiles, Niger 

stingrays, and white-breasted guinea fowl.

I couldn’t. My mind didn't expand to embrace

wildlife impacted by forest destruction and habitat

degradation. You see, I now know the words.

I travelled further in Western Africa last week

than I ever expect to in real life. I am grateful

for the challenge that expanded my vocabulary.

Yet the creative part of me couldn’t, wouldn't, travel.  

I shelter here with my cats, each of us shaken by 

fireworks that sound like guns, by new strains of 

covid and guns, by racism-sexism-classism and guns, 

by loss of democracy and proliferation of guns. 

Still trying to serve and love one being at a time.

Is it good to know that in the scheme of cultures

I live in a place relatively safe?  Shudder.  The safer

I feel, the more I know that we take our needs from

and leave our by-products elsewhere. That work needed

in care of endangered species everywhere, 

must start here, and must begin yesterday.

Posted at earthweal open link weekend #125, 

written for earthweal weekly challenge: WILD AFRICA

My blog poems are rough drafts.

Please respect my copyright.

© 2022 Susan L. Chast