& giants tumble to feed ivory lusts! majesty is besmirched by poachers’ thrusts! 12,000 pounds of majesty for 6 feet of tusk! oh man! what manner of greed lies in thy husk! & giants fall, robbed by day for cruel gain! they trumpet in protest, a mournful strain! ivoryless corpses litter lands they once trod! o! majesty lays desecrated on barren sod! when shall we stop these haunting hunts that turn trumpeting to dying grunts? salute the Elephants, grant them their place! let not their glory vanish from nature’s face!
This poem was written in support of the Before It’s Too Late (BITL) climate change campaign. Through it, I hope to bring to light the alarming decline of elephant populations across Africa and Asia. These majestic creatures face an imminent threat due to the rapid loss of their natural habitats, a consequence largely driven by human activities, particularly the devastating ivory trade.
Kukogho Iruesiri Samson is a Nigerian writer, communications professional, and publishing entrepreneur. Kukogho has authored five books, including Devil’s Pawn (2020), winner of the 2018 GT Bank Dusty Manuscript Prize. Kukogho has received several accolades, both as a writer and a literary administrator. He founded and manages the popular art development organization Words Rhymes & Rhythm, its assisted-authorship publishing imprint, Authorpedia Publishers, and its literary arts journal, CỌ́N-SCÌÒ Magazine.
