~
[our] nightmare : no
birdsong —
the jungle was riven emptied
of [i sihek] bright blue green turquoise red gold
feathers — everywhere : brown
tree snakes avian
silence —
the snakes entered
without words when [we] saw them it was too late —
they were at [our] doors sliding along
the passages of [i sihek]
empire — then
the zookeepers came —
called it species survival plan — captured [i sihek] and transferred
the last
twenty-nine micronesian kingfishers
to zoos for captive breeding [1988] — they repeated [i sihek]
and repeated :
"if it weren't for us
your birds [i sihek]
would be gone
forever"
what does not change /
last wild seen —