I
Fly from the west – soar down Peru’s dusty spheres,
Cusco – hard town, alpacas rest, altitude dares.
Now to replenish the current, now come,
Must reheal, needs conserve the Amazon.
Eagle upon high, I meet with Andean glare –
Mask upon stones – thin signifiers, thin air.
Car exchange, what whites here be smuggled?
Take sharp turn, pass by Inca struggles.
From range to range we rove, by cacti led –
Stop here, see skies, water, break the sweet bread.
Salvacion – within the jungle it snakes, simple streets,
Casual vultures scan the land, boys and dogs play, lizards sneak.
II
Ceaselessly drag by, beaks dart before red-breezy, lofty clouds,
Round still, close-linear, weepy mists the dark green softly shroud.
Slender cecropia branches outstretched, ‘tis slight, some storeys,
Stirs to the parrot, its vantage, ‘tis backed by azure glory.
At a sudden, there moving throughout the wood,
Twixt leaf and peeps, spindly raucous neighbourhood.
Green swooping bird, perches afar, soon turns, soon sings,
Why not then straight-plumed into sheer canopy flings.
Back to the trunk I look up, too many arboreal shapes to focus my gaze,
All caressed by kind beams, blurs the edge, shaded points swirl to and fro, nestle in lustrous haze.
But just above, soundly clinging in the din,
Silky silent grabs of brown capuchin.
Skip through the world’s lungs, I draw charms sweetly,
Sleek-tipped butterflies flit via palms neatly.
Doubtless by ear, always by eyes to miss,
Seething murmurs of small-eyed populace.
Deep in the stems, loose-grounded, therein breeds,
Teem in the air, drop to the growth; fair seeds.
Jungle breathes, lives, mostly non-visible signs –
Hoatzins crash, perfumes buzz, draw bites, smell the swine.
Pitfall! Chuck the spill, check, spell the possum,
Next step, muster, duck each zealous blossom.
From the verdant war, escapes to the flint,
Hops in the melting noon, braves its fierce tints.
Occasional, now clear:
Day-moon sober but sere.
Roll through utopia, at a saunter –
Light soles, light soul, clean thinks, clean laundry.
At the lodge, dinner, day’s good strolls confess,
Some jokes, candle, molls, a game of chess.
Coffee, work discuss, wrong talk I pardon,
Ponder bees, raincoat, walk in the garden.
Softly ignore the modest rain-sheets,
Ripple-blazes main distract, drenched in heat.
High as sun, wing-songs paddle lush airs, but hence, believe?
Quiet hummingbirds straddle each swing bush fast-gently.
Time falters, lack pendulum to set rhymes,
Only slack Oropendula’s wet chimes.
Back forth thus molten sky crux is volleyed,
Sheen, thrust-merged, seeming flux, would be solid!
Yep, the day may speed mellow,
But not so, feathers red and yellow.
Amusement, those minor orbs hung in indigo.
Curve-honeyed sweeping malevolent glow.
Swagger midst vine, swerve shadows, steeped in bog,
Thrash dagger, bestir a poison dart frog.
Put torch to the noir, bring out pupils, skins,
Crawl beyond the log, record their patterns, tinge.
Skilful forest wandering, mournful call at night,
Darkened rustlings – jaguar perchance, out of sight.
Wide ranging light arrow, strikes clean, ‘fore the sonic,
Champion thunderbolt’s aloof recognition laconic.
Can you spy our crescent, sat on wispy shelf?
Unsound atmosphere, soundless, gathers itself.
Pacas, tapirs, they sprint in the black thrall,
Where they flee, what spiders, do boas curl tall?
Rasping squawk, sliding strains, clay chirps, echo dim-sparse,
To feel with brain sprung shimmered audible collage.
I remember there, brilliant petals lined the floor,
Ocelot footprints made their way – took note, signed the score.
Senses on thrust, all-crawling, hundred on slant,
Tiny line, silent steps; behold leaf-cutter ants.
Tenacious terrain, stumble, kick the boot,
Tumble sometimes, up-and-down, trip the root.
Careful now; nigh poised within viscous soil,
Stare him down, toy with stripy vicious coil.
Grounded leaves are broken, twigs are feeble,
In plight of restless mean-turquoise beetle.
Rest a moment, they white-eyed parakeets I saw?
No, hear its call – ‘tis the blue-and-yellow macaw.
Spot to spot, views open out to highland,
Eat lunch, consider calm flowing diamond.
Past the bush, at a rock’s throw, encamped in maroon,
Pours into the hole, lowly green-sinky lagoon.
Across the clear – contrast to forest’s still,
Weightless fury – flaps by neon-cobalt thrill.
Seen on the stone, thick glint, metallic blue,
Peels away, dragonfly of rapid hue.
Seeping in parts, dancing, leaping streams,
Keep sharp, see prancing salamander gleam!
III
Easy to be ‘whelmed by Amazon’s vibrant power,
Wheel around in trees, view the scents, hear the flowers.
When we lose the track, out of step, world at schism,
Spin there, check the line, keep the tack, grasp the ribbon.
To plant the seed, shed the bad, have the verve,
Learn in one – protect the reserve.
Between us and nature, impossible is severance,
How why therefore break it, where is our reverence?
To sustain, not profit, should be our topic –
Digits rocket – all the while, tropics dwindle.
Away I go, recall those cloud-pufts simmering,
Bird tweets like multitudinous gems glimmering.
– Jack Snoddy
El blog del búho 