Family
by Rick Brentlinger
(Pace, FL, USA)
Gorilla family
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And lingered till the morning mist
Flashed rainbows at the sun.
Then walked and scratched and searched for food
To feed the soon impending brood
Their trysting had begun.
The babies came one evening late
She sat alone, chased off her mate
Till motherhood was done.
A hunter saw her lying there,
Now fixed her with a baleful stare,
And killed her with his gun.
He ran in close upon the dead
The ground all covered crimson red
Picked up her infant son.
Yet paled at sound of murderous roar
Too late to ward off vengeance sore
His own life blood was shed.
The father gathered up the twins
And crashing through the jungle dins
In grief began to run.
He led his tribe off far away
Nor stopping till the break of day-
Stood panting in the sun.
The mighty creature’s heart was crushed
A tear from red-rimmed eye he brushed
When cracked another gun.
The hunters gathered round the dead
The babies twice stained crimson red
Man’s wicked work was done.
Their captors placed them in a cage
Two babies of a bloody age
The daughter and the son.
Now families peek and poke and squeal
Through bars of thickly armored steel
At the single solitary one.
His sister died, left him alone
So should you hear him weep and groan
It’s family - he has none.
Yes, apes are mentioned
in the Bible.
For the king had at sea
a navy of Tharshish
with the navy of Hiram:
once in three years
came the navy of Tharshish,
bringing gold, and silver,
ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
1 Kings 10:22, KJV
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Gorilla family photo by Zoostar,
Silverback photo by davey-boy,
courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
