Remembering Cecil…The Magnificent Lion

July 30, 2015 Jen

A poem dedicated to Cecil…an icon of Hwange

Cecil the lion in Hwange, Zimbabwe. © Bryan Orford/YouTube –

The drum roll of Africa…a mighty heartbeat within his chest

Zimbabwe’s icon….Zimbabwe’s best

As shadows crawl….drowsy with the midday heat

Matabele ants marching to a random beat

Cecil’s vibrant rich scent wafts on the cool breeze

Sunshine slips softly through the canopy of trees

Poetry in motion….this magnificent beast

Tawny pelt rippling…..a visual treat

The brisk air trembles with his deep- throated call

Cecil’s powerful stance….so proud and so tall

Flowing black mane like a halo around his head

His harem of sleek females keep him well fed

Padding softly through the crisp winter grass

Under a wide open sky as clear as glass

His silent footfalls marking the golden sand

Passionate and dignified…. King of this timeless land

Dark shadows of greed hound him

Destructive and tragic

Cecil, a heart beat no longer ….to weave his magic

The peace of death carries his soul

His broken body….no longer whole

A deathly quiet lingers….in a world going insane

On nature’s grand stage….such immeasurable pain

In an explosion of gold…the sun bids him goodnight

Rest In Peace Cecil…we will continue to fight.

Chengeta Wildlife is a force for good, offering a comprehensive solution to help combat the evils of poaching.

I support Chengeta Wildlife unreservedly.. you can too.

Foreign Horizon

July 20, 2015 Jen

Last week’s poem was dedicated to the three elephant calves from Zimbabwe that escaped from making

the heartbreaking journey to China.

This week’s poem is dedicated to the 24 precious Zimbabwean elephant calves that have been forced to live out their lives

thousands of miles from where they belong.

Photo by Chunmei Hu

Boxed and crated…elephant calves sway and yearn

A terrifying journey….never to return

Down cast eyes…lonely heart beats

Cold metal bars…their jungle of concrete

Iridescent tears…like falling rain

A hollow echo……of captivity and pain

Elephant calves with their soft weary treads

Their coats full of creases and their noble heads

Yearning for family and the freedom to roam

Dusty dreams of Africa and Hwange……their home

WHERE

Birds sing from the leaf laden canopy of trees

Flaxen dust sprinkled like spun gold on the leaves

African sun spreads it’s warm coppery glow

A myriad of stars stare in wonder….nature’s night show

WHERE

The wild sweet decay of buffalo dung carries on the breeze

AND

Silence shredding cicadas flirt and tease

WHERE

Wispy clouds chase shooting stars

AND

The African full moon beams from afar

THEIR RIGHT TO SEE

Golden sunrises and sunsets like perfect bookends for each day

THEIR RIGHTS TO FREEDOM

Torn away

With heavy hearts…their young trunks reaching up high

Seeking the horizon where earth drifts into sky

Elephant calves that should be surrounded by family and nature’s wild African splendour

Incarcerated for Life……

A tragic surrender.

We train those who are wildlife’s first line of defense against poachers and poaching syndicates.

During our training operations one group of rangers arrested 81 poachers in 12 days.

New Horizons

July 13, 2015 Jen

This is dedicated to the three elephant calves …. that escaped from being sent to China as they were classified as ‘damaged goods.’

Thank you to Wild Is Life, Grand Zimbabwe for giving them a fighting chance.

Three young hearts pounding…beating as one

Sun washed bush pulsating like an African drum

Young wrinkled coats heavy….burdened with unease

Africa shaped ears fanning the breeze

Dusty horizon drifts into the electric sky

Young elephant calves…their trunks held high

Afternoon melodies drifting….soft and tender

Trees boastful….in their winter splendour

Hope surrounds them…a symphony of their survival

Wild is Life, Grand Zimbabwe….their saviours….await their

arrival

Under a limitless sky…as high as it is wide

Escaping a life of servitude…their physical imperfections

on their side

As winter sunshine slips slowly through the canopy of trees

Roxy Danckwerts huge heart bursts….hearing their pleas

Vibrant scents, rich earth and mellow afternoon sun

True essence of giving….their heartbeats with Roxys..soon to become one

Shadows drift and darkness fades

A breath taking dawn…veined with gold braid

Three lost souls….a traumatised elephant herd

Peace, soon to surround them….with a soft spoken word

Midges rise and hang motionless…birdsong carries on the breeze

‘Pickles’ and ‘Moyo’…embraced by the warmth…stretch with ease

‘Moyo’ feels the calves sorrow, their whispers and their sighs

Their storms of emotions…no time for their goodbyes

Elephant calves at peace…as in silence they tread

Weaving their magic….a golden life thread

Embracing their life…moving towards the sun

A soul dance, summer scents…their healing has begun

We Love You Hope

July 1, 2015July 3, 2015 Jen

Raising awareness on the plight of ‘Hope’… and her kind….through decorating rhino cookies/biscuits

and talking to the kids while they have fun.

Saving The Survivors

We Love You Hope

Never let go of ‘Hope’..the wind whistles her name

The gentle hush of evening shares in her pain

Courage comes to her in whispers…as healing is blessed by the fading light

Fireflies ghost….. like murmurs of the night

Under a wide African sky softened by twinkling stars

Lazy half moon, Venus and Mars

Earthy scents surround her….sultry on the breeze

Blowing words of encouragement….calming her unease

Her horn cursed head …..still steeped in pride

And a

A heart full of courage….as death she has defied

Butchering deep….for their ill gotten gains

No thought or conscience on inflicting such immeasurable pain

Caught up in the human web of deceit

And still ‘Hope’ has the courage to stand on her feet

The gilt edged horizon of morning offers an extra lifeline

May the aura of harmony over this magical girl and her kind…forever shine

The emptiness of these hateful crimes….amid deathly silence and shimmering heat

‘Hope’ gives us the courage…to take a stance against this corruption, greed and deceit

Breathe HOPE Breathe

You are an inspiration to us all

Where there is life…there is HOPE….

Let us stand as one….let us stand tall

We train those who are wildlife’s first line of defense against poachers and poaching syndicates. During our training operations one group of rangers arrested 81 poachers in 12 days.

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