The Sumatran Tiger

Like so many animals living today
man is the greatest of enemies, they
destroy natural habitat
for commercial reasons
destruction is evident
even to seasons

In Sumatra there was a tiger
and there
in the thick virgin forests
the island did share
this wonderful unique Tiger of old
who clung to the forests
where secrets unfold

it loved isolation
where cover was thick
but man’s intervention
did rapidly lick
they tore out the high trees
the life force and all
and planted oil palm
and rubber their call

commercial interests
corporate cash
acacia groves logging
and flash
burning of areas
saw the decline of Tigers
and others
right down the line

despite some protection
when cover is lost
prey animals dissipate
food sources tossed
inevitably this means
imbalance and pain
and the Sumatran Tiger
had little to gain

oil palm is open its dark
but its not
like a vibrant forest
the world goes to pot
the wild one’s can’t hack it
and so what we see
is diminishing numbers
and soon there might be

less and less and then
extinction it looms
for poachers are out there
the low life presumes
anything that can make money
is worth
the effort and trapping them
has given birth

to a rise in their body parts
for the Chinese
The Traditional medicine
is there to please
the rising interest in China
alas
is dragging the Tiger
into the morass

and outlets in Sumatra
are still selling parts
and numbers are dwindling
its breaking our hearts
to see the Sumatran Tiger
being killed
despite the protection
poachers have spilled

their blood in such numbers
man un kind appears
to be there in the midst
increasing the fears
in some peoples minds
that man will see the end
of every wild animal
he called his friend

for habitat loss
that’s man stealing the land
changing its balance
they dont understand
anything really where money
can be
made for the short term
as tree after tree

is chopped down and replaced
by Rubber and Palm
which for the long term
sounds the alarm
all living creatures
the big ones and the small
and man himself
yes really all
will suffer the great consequences
and may
never recover just eternally pay
how selfish we are
our foresight is nil
we have splendid eyes
its our hearts that are still
we think of ourselves
our children who cares
they can look after
their own affairs
our need for money
is greater than there’s
we are the kings
they have their prayers