Hands off our Vultures

Hands off our Vultures
Hands off our vultures
Hands off we pray
Vultures are nature’s darlings
And yet endangered

Our environment we’ve destroyed
With hands that should build
And now we turn to vultures
Made homeless by the fall
Of our famous Cotton Tree
Do you not know that these scavengers
Are a valuable part of the ecosystem?
Do you not know that vultures are
Becoming extinct?

The White-Backed Vultures
And Hooded Vultures of mama Salone
Are dwindling like the forest cover
“ Nature’s Clean-up Crew”
Wired to clean the environment
Help keep some diseases at bay
Do you know how the carcass
Of Mama Marie’s cat disappeared?
Pa Peter’s rat poison killed 12 rats
Where are they now?
Ask the natural cleansing agents –
Vultures

Fresh carcasses they consume,
But will devour rotten remains
And rid your bins and streets
Of stench of carcasses,
Reduce carbon emissions, `
And eliminate some bacteria
You don’t have to pay or thank them
Unlike Masada

In peace, let’s leave the vultures
They pledge to make us comfortable
They pledge to protect us
They pledge to keep us healthy
Don’t cook our garbage cleaners
They’re here to do us a favour
The monumental tree has fallen
Let’s save the dispossessed vultures
(We once or twice were dispossessed too)
Let’s make a pact to preserve them
They deserve no less
Hands off our vultures

Elizabeth L.A. Kamara
May 2023