Poem - MAG Poetry Prize 2010

Biodiversecology

by Elizabeth Waldron
Petersham, Australia

The curtain rose lightly like new morning mist
Reminiscent of old Greek mythology
The conductor's hands fluttered like leaf litter, softly
Revealing a hidden ecology

Old man Orangutan swayed a bass pulse
Mimicking kinesiology
Monkeys and marmosets chased violins
Ignoring their sweet musicology

Percussion played elements, deep in the forest
Water and air and geology
Cats prowled the brasses, threatening all
Showing their feline psychology

Until interval
When the Electus parrot shrieked like a broken record
“will all patrons please turn off your mobile phones.
Photographs are NOT permitted”

The audience shifted with sloth-like reproach
And the camel looked quite supercilious
“Those kids today think they're SO special,” he sneered
“Their arrogance makes me feel bilious.”

“I agree” cried the dugong, “they're full of themselves,
We'll never be able to beat them.
Unfortunately we're all vegetarians so
We can't even manage to eat them”.

Up on the stage, the dancers peered querulously
Without any thought of apology
They said “They're pathetic, completely bizarre.
They're not joining OUR rich ecology”.