Tusks

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achingly ... he still recalled as if but a day hence ... the air still moved, tender the earth a-sole, still trembling grasses parting like swells for a mighty prow dust from bulky feet in diaphanous clouds ... swept up and woven like a thin shuka as if a Maasai blessing to grace the hips of the coy Kilimanjaro ... yet naught remained but the beautiful white the echoes of the poachers' rifles and the countless cries of a grand species, ghosted lost to the thirsty Serengeti soil shamed red by the rills of blood let for a sake, sadistic ... and the inexhaustible glut of greed. Submitted on November 26, 2020 To the "On Your Marks, Naturally" Poetry Contest Julia Ward, Judge & Sponsor.

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Andrea Dietrich

Date: 10/8/2020 6:30:00 PM

Potent words, my friend. It's horrific what the poachers are doing to these poor endangered animals.

Robert Lindley

Date: 10/6/2020 8:00:00 AM

A marvelous poem on the malignant cancer of mankind s greed. A beautiful expression of the majesty of elephants and Nature s gift that is being savaged. Your exquisite verses sing to this old poet' s heart.. A favorite, A gem...

John Hamilton

Date: 10/4/2020 10:25:00 AM

This is poetry excellence G, a sad and haunting piece that strikes the conscience of us all (except the poachers, hideous beasts) I read somewhere recently there are so many animals going extinct at a quicker pace than before. I guess more greed equals extinction. I look forward to the day poachers are extinct!

John Watt

Date: 10/3/2020 8:14:00 PM

The whole write is a powerful statement, but I think it most stopped me in my tracks at the word "ghosted". A perfectly chosen, chilling word to depict the emptiness that remains when these beautiful, majestic animals are felled for the greed of poachers and the lust of buyers that keep the poachers in business.

Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 10/3/2020 8:29:00 PM

Thank you so very kindly, John, that means a lot to me ... I have always felt a kinship to these marvelous creatures, and I pray we stop our mad havoc upon them before they're gone ... like so many other species that we've driven into extinction. They are far more intelligent and social and sensitive than we give them credit for, and we have so much we can learn from these gentle giants. I'm very glad you liked this one, Dear Poet Brother, and appreciate the comments ... I get few these days. Blessings! :-)