THE OLD TUSKER
Dawn explodes like fire on this harsh and timeless land
Flames of sunlight bursts
Licking the veldt with a golden hand
An old tusker stands, warming his back against the dawn
The essence of nature in the early morn
Harmony in motion, this gentle beast
Intricately entwined with the warmth rising in the east
Lord of the land, he celebrates the new day
The old soldier, with his well worn tusks
A vital part of this wild splendor in every way
Way up high above the gilt-edged cloud
The drone of a machine screeches out loud
Wrapped in coats of violence, they hover above the trees
Weapons of death resting, on human knees
The proud old tusker sweeps his trunk across the sky
A terrified look in his rheumy old eye
He trumpets wildly, face frozen in fear
Heart pounding: stretching tight
Bolting for safety, awkward in his flight
Shots ring out, striking him with meaty sounds
Down he goes, legs splayed and crashing into the ground
The pungent smell of death hangs in the air
The old tusker’s heart, still pounding with fear
Tears trickle slowly reflecting the desolation
His nightmare of violence, pain and desecration
Men reach for their axes with unquenchable greed
Moving in close without conscience or creed
Ivory tusks, his personal treasure
Torn from his face for man’s pleasure
Bloodcurdling screams cut through the morning breeze
Rivers of blood gush through the trees
The peace of death carries his soul
His mutilated body, no longer whole
A deadly quiet lingers. The chaos insane
The old tusker at peace: no longer in pain
Again they had come, like devils at first light
No thought for this creature in his final struggle for life
Long 60 years of life, stolen
Mangled grey silence in a heap
The first drops of rain fall
The Angels weep
Well done Jenny. Sending lots of love xx
Sue, thank you for your comment. It is so sad to read about the destruction of these animals. Take care Sue and lots of love to you. xx
This is so heart breaking, these beautiful proud animals butchered. man needs to be taught a lesson and hunted like they hunt these beautiful creatures.
Sue, thank you for your comment. Please just continue to share my link to the blog, ‘Old Tusker’ and my face book page.
So sad. So very sad and unnecessary. Thank you for your work in this struggle.
A huge thank you to the still4hill team for their comments and adding me to your bloggers role. I am delighted to be part of this struggle and will do all I can to spread the awareness on the plight of these amazing giants. I am also aware that there are so many animals facing the same problems… As you said ‘sad and unnecessary’.
Just one little message to tell you that I enjoy your writing style and your creativity. Sorry for my bad English, I’m French.