Another megafauna

· by · in free verse, poetry. ·

Once it swayed
with serpent tongue
in search
of moths, the giant sloth,
with nothing more to offer
than to slowly be
a lunchtime snack
for yet an aging smilodon,
weak with cavities. And
maybe we, humanity,
are (like them) just
scavenging remains,
when picking bones
we’re waiting for another
megafauna that will
populate the earth
as we extinct ourselves.

Smilidon sculpted by Erich Oehme, 1964

Smilidon sculpted by Erich Oehme, 1964

Gillena inspires us with the word megafauna at toads, and I thought about how every megafauna has become extinct… we humanity the current one might be the first one making ourselves extinct (unless a meteor comes soon). I will also link this to Poetry United tomorrow morning.
—
August 27, 2016

41 responses to “Another megafauna”

  2. Love that you answered the prompt with such a fascinating creature of the past! And you’ve also reminded us of the circle of time, and our impermanence. Thanks for giving the giant sloth the spotlight, if only for a moment.

  4. I like this, Bjorn. Being overzealous with applications of our genius likenesses can get us into trouble, big time.
    This one couldn’t get much better,
    “the giant sloth,
    with nothing more to offer
    than to slowly be
    a lunchtime snack
    for yet an aging smilodon,
    weak with cavities    ”
    ..

  11. I hadn’t heard the word before reading – so thank you (and Gillena too)… I think your words and image hint that we could well be the only species that makes ourselves extinct – perhaps for the Earth that is a good thing.. give it a few millennia to recover from the damage we’ve waged on her..

  13. Great cyclical nature to this, not just effective but a comment on life and the predatory destructive element.
    The slot is a great example to kick it off with, as even now the sloth is endangered, and all the sloth ever did was eat and sleep.

  16. Well, I really do feel like a dinosaur in today’s high tech world. The photo is a great reminder/warning that goes well with your words.

  17. Fascinating observation of the rise and fall of megafauna through the passage of time. I agree, it’s hubris to assume we humans will not follow the same cycles.

  21. I lost my internet connection just as I was commenting so I don’t think it went through–I think there is much wisdom here–and much reality–sad though

  22. This poem touches me deeply. Your poetry often does, and I think that the fact that I read The Sixth Extinction a couple of weeks ago contributes to the feelings. We are erasing ourselves… by the time those invaders get here, our bones will probably be bleached.

  25. we’re waiting for another megafauna that will
    populate the earth as we extinct ourselves.

    That eerie feel that mankind is just as vulnerable on the road to extinction if not careful!

    Hank

  28. Well, we may be the first Mega-fauna, to wipe itself out, which isn’t something to cheer about, but least this way, the planet has a chance to renew itself, with a smart dominate species that will learn from our mistakes,

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