Deborah Leipziger

Lobo

• For Paulo Paulino Guajajara, known as “Lobo”, who was a “Guardian of the Amazon,” killed by illegal loggers 

 

I guard the forest
its canopy of reflected stars
the morpho butterflies   the blue moons
bromeliads   the fish
the roots of trees
drinking in the river

I guard the forest
the children of the tribe

I guard the canopy with its toucans   parakeets
emerald
I guard the forest floor   with its snakes
I guard the mating jaguars

I knew
they would kill me.
I could not have imagined
that it would be a shot to the
face    that my body would be
left in the forest

Now
You guard the forest
its canopy of reflected stars
the morpho butterflies   the blue moons
bromeliads   the fish
the roots of trees
drinking in the river

 

You guard the forest
the children of the tribe

You guard the canopy with its toucans    parakeets
emerald
You guard the forest floor   with its snakes
You guard the mating jaguars

 

 

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