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Sunday, October 31, 2021

Craig Santos Perez

 Chamorro Ecopoet

Craig Santos Perez
Chamorro Ecopoet

ginen the micronesian kingfisher [i sihek]

                                                                ~

[our] nightmare : no
birdsong—
the jungle was riven emptied
of [i sihek] bright blue green turquoise red gold
feathers—everywhere : brown
tree snakes avian
silence—

the snakes entered
without words when [we] saw them it was too late—
they were at [our] doors sliding along
the passages of [i sihek]
empire—then

the zookeepers came—
called it species survival plan—captured [i sihek] and transferred
the last
twenty-nine micronesian kingfishers
to zoos for captive breeding [1988]—they repeated [i sihek]
and repeated :

"if it weren't for us
your birds                    [i sihek]
would be gone
forever"

what does not change /

last wild seen—
 


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