Can they know how long they have left

When the wolf sings
his head is held high
aimed at the heavens
of course we know why
he makes his appeal
at the top of his voice
because he now realises
he has no choice

he has to be patient
he has to take care
for there are big enemies
clearly out there
gunning for him
with all of their might
and he now does know
that he is in their sight

habitat loss
its now everywhere
even the wilderness
offers despair
no where is sacrosanct
not any more
for the ranchers are at it
its more or less war

and they have the money
and they have success
they have the land
and they know how to stress
wolves and coyotes
bears and the like
and they have the rifles
and are so quick to strike

there are activists
who love wolves
and who care
but they don’t have
the where for all
oh yes they share
but financially speaking
they don’t have a lot
and they can’t get their fingers
in some greasy pot

they don’t have the lobbying power
and therefore
it isn’t so easy
to get through the law
money breeds money breeds money
and so
if you don’t have it
no one wants to know

legislative power
if its needed its hard
when you are fighting the ranchers
you can get quite scarred
and the wolves have their input
but history shows
when they up against cattle
you keep on your toes

wolves being predators
often get blamed
its not that they do things
its what some have claimed
and people are ready to shoot
and then ask
and then its too late
to bring them to task

its really hard out there
the stresses and strains
the hunters the trappers
they go to great pains
to ravage the system
to threaten us all
and push our backs clearly
right up to the wall

when the wolf sings
he holds his head high
he thinks of the moon
but of course its the sky
as the drama unfolds there
his great silhouette
striding out of the dawn
is clearly well met

by the sweep of the sun
in the heat of the day
as the shadows burn deeper
the grassy lands pay
its when other prey animals
rest up and try
to keep out of our way
knowing that they will die