Digital Safari


Flashes break the night
into white beaded eyes.
The desert can no longer
keep its secrets hidden
in sand and stars.

A digital hunter stalks
the moonless night
armed with technology
to capture roaming beasts
on their nocturnal journey.

A safari held in a human palm
takes no blood nor mounts a trophy.
The only trigger pulled is mounted
on a camera that takes a shot
seen around the world.

An iPhone creates a bridge
between life and extinction
by keeping an animal count
among buzzing texts and
consuming abbreviations.


 ©Susie Clevenger 2012

 At Real Toads, Transforming Friday, Hannah had us traveling to the desert to write about animal life there. When researching for something to spark my muse I came across an article about an iPhone app created by the Zoological Society of London called  Instant Wild. It is used by the general public to view animals in the wild to count and perhaps even find a new species. 


Comments

Anonymous said…
Very cool! Kind of crazy but whatever raises awareness without being too invasive seems like it must be cool. And perhaps more interesting than watching firewood (as in Norway?). (ha.). K.
February 26, 2013 at 7:07 AM
Heidi said…
I like the idea of the digital hunter contrasting with the picture of the lioness. Really cool inspiration and a nice way to start my day.
February 26, 2013 at 8:25 AM
Brian Miller said…
what an interesting piece...the digital hunter...bridging life and extinction...havent thought of taking pics that way...and it could be extended out to social media as well...

saw the pic and the sidebar of the lion and it brought me here..smiles.
February 26, 2013 at 9:27 AM
Fireblossom said…
What a tremendous thing! Hunting to preserve and discover, not destroy!
February 26, 2013 at 8:10 PM
Iliad Keys said…
This. is very creative. Love it. It's fresh, (not like people comparing computers to looking through 'windows' which is done to death, aha)
February 27, 2013 at 8:23 AM
Unknown said…
You illuminate one of the wonders and gifts of increasingly easy-to-use technology. We can achieve so much, so fast, with so little. Nice work, Susie.
February 27, 2013 at 2:22 PM
Luke Prater said…
Final stanza brings it all into some kind of perspective or pushes it out?) -- sign of the modern times when we close a good poem mentioning our iPhones... ;)
February 28, 2013 at 12:44 PM
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