The Stresemann’s Bristlefront

A rare tropical bird.

I should be singing
and dancing for joy;
I wait for an answer
to my mating call.

I am alive and well
and full of hope
that I’ll find a partner
I can enthrall.

Being a survivor
of drought and fire,
the trouble is
that I live in Brazil.

The deforestation
ongoing here
is excessive
and it bodes ill.

The ground is where
I build my nest
but the soil is degraded
and not the best.

The forest exploited
for agriculture,
logging and pasture,
does not pass the test.

Dried-up streams
and sere vegetation
are not at all good
for our preservation.

It seems that I am
the last alive specimen
of the bristlefront’s
avian flock.

That the reason is
an inadequate regimen
may be evident
but it’s still a shock.

I sincerely wish that
people will see sense,
come off the fence
and save our habitat.

© Luigi Pagano 2020

https://ebird.org/species/strbri1