Adieu Dodo | Previous Challenge Entry

Just east of Madagascar’s isle,
A craggy wind-swept island home,
There, beady eyes and tufted tail—
There, flightless, feathered fowl could roam.

There, raucous trills were overheard—
The warble of the dodo bird.

It dwelt in peace with man and beast
Until one cataclysmic day,
A milliner with fecklessness
A bonnet pieced, then while displayed

Attached two feathers, then a third,
Each from the tufted dodo bird.

The style, the rage throughout Paree.
Unlike the bird, the bonnet flew
Off Paris shelves, then modified —
Why feathers three when ten will do? —

With lace-trimmed, wide-brimmed, tres absurd,
Plumes pilfered from the dodo bird.

Contributing to further peril,
A band of huntsmen on the prowl,
Invasion of the island land,
Stalked rabidly endangered fowl.

For sporting hunts, the game preferred
Was docile, flightless dodo bird.

Then dined upon the dwindling fowl,
Both royalty and common man,
This dish prepared exotic ways
With cardamom and spiced cayenne.

Upon a plate with whey and curds
Perched succulent poached dodo bird.

A tragic tale—voraciousness,
Their reckless tastes to satiate.
From Monday noon through Friday late,
The wretched hoard would salivate.

Then Saturday, the stew they stirred
Had massive chunks of dodo bird.

Now with regrets and sorely grieved,
We mourn its tufts and cross-billed beak.
We’ll never gaze upon its plumes
Or contemplate its rare mystique.

Its warble will remain unheard.
Adieu, thou woeful dodo bird.

The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.