In honor of Mother Nature, and in celebration of Earth Day and Month, 2014, here is my new poem, which also honors the precious life of Marius, the young giraffe who was senselessly killed at the Copenhagen Zoo.
I also have a new theory, which I have been thinking about more and more: I think that gay people can truly play an important role -- if not the most important role -- in saving the Earth and all of the creatures that inhabit it. We can use our bent sensibility and compassion. We can use our profound understanding of what it means to be thought of as less than human. We can use all of our indomitable strength and perseverance to save our planet and the precious lives of the non-human animals that share it with us.
"Giraffes Were Here"
My grandmother told me stories
about the giraffes
that used to live in Africa.
She showed me pictures
of the beautiful creatures.
Photos that she took
while on safari in the grasslands.
She was lucky to have seen
them while they were still alive
roaming the earth freely
and gracefully.
She was given the opportunity
to see them up close
in real life.
I have to settle for pictures
that truly are not worth a thousand words.
My generation will never know
what it's like to see a real live giraffe.
These experiences have been stolen from us.
So what do we do
with the stories and photos
and what has been taken from us.
How do we survive
knowing that so many others have not.
When do we say enough is enough.
What action do we take.
Why does such cruelty exist.
Where do we go for answers.
And how many more animals
will disappear.