Lovers of the Dark

None came to such a remote place Near Pannawonica in Australia, without access No bird has known it, not even a skink Troglobites live in the dark caves, never shrink Humans came with iron mining project But noticed the exceptional nature of the tiny insect; Darkness keeps them smart Bright light kills the insects They live in the caves dark Spider like tiny blind invertebrates The aboriginal heritage of the earth Deserve human interest for their special worth; Man has abandoned mining there Leaving the rocky caves to the insects’ care To protect the lovers of the dark From the assault of the light stark Strange world accommodates all the opposites Pannawonica like sanctuary is one of such sites. © Aju Mukhopadhyay, 2020