Benjamin, the last Thylacine, died on 6 September 1933 in the Hobart Zoo
This image by an unknown photographer is in the public domain
does anyone
remember Benjamin?
he died under the harvest moon
or at least around that time
brawny Benjamin
was last
on record
Thylocine extinct
colossal loss
what right had Benjamin to die
from barking up the wrong tree
when he
was the
last one
humans have
no love
for anything we have deemed lesser
brave Benjamin died in a cage
he would
have preferred
the wood
~ornery owl~
prompts
Prompt: Write about an endangered or extinct species
Prompt: Write a love or anti-love poem
I wrote about charitable love rather than romantic love. The Thylacine was treated with blatant disregard by humanity, which is the opposite of love.
Prompt: Write a Trinet
Phrase: Barking up the wrong tree
The Icky, Sticky, Nit-Picky Legalese If You Please (Or Don't Please)
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I cant stand the thought of animals in cages. Humans seem to think animals have no feelings, dont feel pain or grief when, in fact, they feel everything we do. Sigh. Thanks for telling us about Benjamin. Another being I had not heard of.
ReplyDeleteI (now) remember this animal, I had forgotten the sad tale of its vanishing. Of this last of its kind, caged, like a clear-cut wood. Well done - quite right for the challenge.
ReplyDeleteExcellent poem. Your use of the words is seamless. It is shameful that the Tasmanian tiger was allowed to become extinct.
ReplyDeleteA blot on our history.
I knew about the thylacine from one of Sherry's previous prompts, but I didn't know the name of the last one. So sad: and this should frighten us. How easily we could slip out of existence!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this had happened today, would they have been able to clone him.
ReplyDeleteThank you for honoring the Tasmanian tiger. I so wish there, out in the deep dark hidden wilds, some living. I like to think so, but it's not likely. I read a wonderful book about a dozen years ago about a group searching for them. I forget it's name, it didn't include thylacine in it. It's so sad, we don't even know what color those fabulous stripes were.
ReplyDeleteToo many of these "last ones" now to count.
ReplyDeleteToo much land has been taken from 'People' who respected it...
ReplyDeleteas well as the animals that belonged there as well.
~(Jules from WP)
Maybe pretty soon
ReplyDeletewe shall be the 'Benjamins'
A bit too late then
we are terrible in our jealousy of other creatures ~
ReplyDelete