The animals held a meeting,
they came from near and far,
the elves, the nature devas,
and Pan and Freya too.
Sweet, kind Mother Nature
sat down with fawns and doves.
“The humans have gone too far,
she said. “It’s time we made a stand.”
“We need a plan,” yapped wily fox.
“We’ve got to the stop the machines,
the juggernaut of progress.”
“It’ll have to be subtle,” wise old owl hooted.
“Something hard to see and difficult to track.”
“A virus would do the trick,” snake hissed.
“They’d never see it coming.”
“I’ll carry it,” said the Horseshoe Bat.
“The humans hate me anyway.”
“I’ll be the transmitter,” said gentle pangolin.
“Too many of my kind have died at human hands.
I’ll happily poison the soup.”
“That’s settled then,” baboon whooped,
“though it’s sad it had to come this.”
“We gave them warnings,” Jaguar snarled,
“the burning forests, the savage storms –
but still still they would not see.”
“It is a sorry business,” Mother Nature sighed.
“So many vulnerable folk will die.”
The gathering fell silent. Tears of grief fell.
“It is a dreadful medicine,” mighty condor shrilled.
“but it’s time, it’s time, my friends.
The humans must wake up before it is too late.
If they learn to work with us the balance will be restored.
The Earth will be renewed.
prompt: https://earthweal.com/2021/01/04/earthweal-weekly-challenge-when-animals-speak/
For this week’s challenge, speak for animals, or let the animals speak. You can write about wildlife refuges, the need for them and the challenges. Or choose an animal and write a poem in its voice as a non-human being. What is its song, what does it love or fear or need? How does the climate crisis impact it? I am waiting with both fear and anticipation to find out! — Sherry
