Live in Harmony with Critters

Wake up, fellow humans,

Don’t be slaves to your senses.

You have five senses:

Eyes, nose, ears, tongue, and skin.

You seek pleasure

Through these portals.

When these sensors —

Optic, olfactory, auditory,

Gustatory, and tactile — approve,

Your brain floods with dopamine,

The sensation you call joy!

So, you are wired to please

These senses at any cost,

Even if it hurts others.

The ivory souvenirs

For your eyes!

Come on, be wise —

That’s the tusks of an elephant.

The musk for your nose!

Come on, be wise —

That’s the hormone of a deer.

The fur to decorate your body!

Come on, be wise —

That’s the skin of a fox!

Image by author

Don’t exploit the fauna,

Nature thrives in equilibrium.

It can start a domino effect,

Disrupting your own rhythm,

Triggering your own destruction.

Though we are not talking,

The deadly COVID started

Because somebody played with bats.

You saw the extent of the catastrophe!

So, let them be!

Note: Through this poem, I am encouraging people to be kind to animals. This poem was originally published in Medium.