The year I was born
the plane went down over
uncharted land, drowning in green
endless forest, choking damp heat.
Rare parrots watched.
Howler monkeys shouted
through the trees
news of something never seen before.
The crew had no chance.
Rescue teams heard the call
but failed to locate
in endless dense canopy.
Now the bones and wreckage
lie in arid suburban gardens
where at night, the ghosts of howler monkeys scream
and extinct parrots flutter through restless dreams.
previously published in Moonstone and on the My Delayed Reactions blog, here
So many ghosts of creatures we could have saved. Once again, a very thought-provoking piece.
ReplyDeleteAnd we have to live woth those ghosts of our own making...
ReplyDeleteGreat poem for the prompt! Beautiful.
ReplyDeletea poignant tale and a powerful poem!
ReplyDeleteWhat an impact this leaves - excellent writing Juliet.
ReplyDeleteYes, absolutely perfect for the prompt. Haunting.
ReplyDeleteThis is a haunting poem. Leaves a lasting impression and makes me wonder what is beneath our own suburban gardens? The last stanza is so vivid. No wonder it was published. Interesting idea for a prompt, too. What happened the day/year you were born?
ReplyDeleteThis paints a really vivid pic, much like scenes of planes hanging lifeless in the Amazon or upside down fighters in Vietnam jungles. This was really well done. Very crisp and sharp.
ReplyDeletethe ending lines are excellent
ReplyDeleteChilling and, unfortunately, true. So well done!
ReplyDeleteThis is so gripping.
ReplyDeleteI know what is under my garden ... rocks and rocks and rocks ... all left from the glacier.
ReplyDeleteI think maybe we have actually gotten more things to grow than were here before people! I hope so, that is the plan.
Spooky poem! But marvellously moving and emotional too. Good job :o)
ReplyDeleteP.S Hope you had a nice Easter! :-D
ReplyDeleteThis poem is interesting, because it carries a message about deforestaion, but also seems to recall a plane crash, that is if I'm reading it correctly. How the planet has changed in your lifetime, and mine, is haunting.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how the other creatures perceive these events, especially after reading your poem.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteokay I don't normally delete comments but then most people don't leave 15 paragraph comments that bear no relevance to the post in quiestion. If you have a relevent short(ish) comment to make Anonymous, please leave one...
ReplyDeleteA beautifully disturbing poem!
ReplyDeleteWe have crashed in the wild jungle world and created our own jungle of destruction!
Terrific line up of ideas!
christina - the story of the poem is about a plane crash but the plane landed in inpenetrable forest but now this land is desert and the wreckage has been revealed.
ReplyDeleteVery poignant. We don't realise how much damage we cause in short spans of time.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written.