HANNIBAL by Althea Rhyl Bell

Primitive male
Little brooding eyes,
Long skinny tail
Dark shaggy matted hair,
You wandered on the plains
Long gone,
…Vegetarian.


The sabre toothed tiger looked
And then passed by
You defied all
And loved your kind,
Your size made carnivore man
…insignificant

You did not kill with heavy foot
Unless threatened,
Gentle giant heart contained,
I stand gazing
…humbled

Expansive,
Like great Hannibal who
Used the elephant to travel,
Conquer and destroy
Minor Asia wept and trembled.

But for you,
Strength and Power defeated
…climate change.

Now emerging, for us to see
As snows melt,
Wilted like a Tundra Crocus,
The icy peat exposes
Your kin’s soggy, ivory laden
…graves.

Can humans, lemming like,
Electrify a suspended cell and clone
……Great giant will we see you walk again?

Regally, you stand
In Vancouver Island’s Museum,
A mammoth, stuffed, called
…HANNIBAL.

Althea Rhyl Bell ©

28/8/2006