The Horn
I’ve got the horn
Ripped straight
From the Head
Does wonders in Bed.
An explosion of lead
Stagger
And dead.
Hacked clean
Into something
Obscene.
Poor eyesight;
It never saw us
The very last
Rhinoceros.
Opher 4.7.2015
We are rapidly wiping out the wild things, the forests, the wilderness as we increase in number and extend our range. Soon the whole world will be a huge concrete and plastic jungle.
We may keep the DNA safe so that in saner times it might be reconstituted into living organisms.
One day, when we’ve become wiser and more civilised, there might be a programme to reinstate nature. I’m not sure I would completely approve. Designed wilderness is a poor substitute but perhaps it will be better than nothing.
If we survive that long.
The rhino is doomed because of superstition and money. You may as well use nail filings as rhino horn. They are exactly the same keratin. There is no medicinal value. It does not give you the horn. Yet the customers will pay. The rhinos will pay and the hunters get paid. That is how decision in this world get made.
Oph, this is an achingly sad but wonderful poem – the (little) changes since the first version being spot-on. If only all who imagine that the horn really does do wonders in bed could be made to feel as sad. I suppose, though, that if they really do think it works, they’d be hard to reach.
It probably does work, as a placebo, for some – in more ways than simply propping up flagging human anatomy (in fact Wikipedia etc. say it’s a western misconception that its main use is as an aphrodisiac – which doesn’t, if true, detract from the poem in the slightest). You’d think, though, that some users would wonder why Big-Pharma hasn’t been making fabulous riches selling the active ingredients in little patented pills.
Aaaah Tobes – you’ve found a niche in the market! We could identify an ingredient, patent and market it! It might take the pressure off the rhinos in the bargain!
Well this is wonderful that you are communicating through my blog. Thanks for the input and good to have you on board. I’m impressed! All the best Opher