Flora and Fauna

Sacrificed.

Photo by Ashish Upadhyay on Unsplash

Silhouettes on the horizon At the very end of the day A bad moon on the rise Down on our knees, we pray

Disbanding in the darkness Hidden behind curtains of cover Prey for the cold and heartless Dark souls we rediscover

The silhouettes submerge Swallowed up in perilous palls Like phantoms, they re-emerge Into our hearts, fear crawls

Our silent breath is rasping. Hearts pound like a hammer. Hapless souls are gasping. Pure silence now a clamour

Out of the deathly silence Gunfire spits and chatters Sparking fear in every sense Only bare survival matters

I am not daring to move or breathe. Inert, supine, and still Trees form a ghostly wreath Silhouettes seeking a kill

The rustle of the long grass Send shivers down the spine The sky was a sheet of blackened glass The wind whispers in a whine

Dawn’s deep and sombre hue Silhouette the trees and hills Merging with the nighttime blue Misty tendrils pierce night’s chills

Up along the rocky ridgeline Silhouettes dissolve in light Disappearing in the shine As daytime snuffs out the night

Silhouettes are sanctioned shooters. Given carte blanche to clear The government’s wildlife looters Armed with rifles and a beer

Excited with bloodlust If it moves, then beware Natives and ferals turned to dust With no empathy or care

Latter days frustrated Rambo’s Barging through a National Park Licensed to kill and dispose Of lit-up eyes seen in the dark

Shame on the State Government For a cheap political ruse In bed with Shooters rabble Betrayal for any vote they’ll use

Flora and fauna were sacrificed. Some species have gone or lost. In horror, we’ll be advised. Of the irreplaceable cost.

©

David Rudder 2025

Thank you for reading this piece and my poetry.