The Sixth Extinction: a lament

The Sixth Extinction: a lament

to the tiny ones
     Caribbean Monk Seal Nasal Mite
and the nameless ones
     a frog from Sri Lanka
to the sleek-skinned water dwellers
     Yangtze River Dolphin
and the dog-faced winged ones
     soaring in the dusk
     Small Samoan Flying Fox

to the feathered-toed snow-walkers
     Upland Moa
and the bushy-tailed nest-makers
     high up in the hollow eucalyptus
            White-footed Rabbit-rat

to the horrible ones
     Alvord Cutthroat Trout
and the homely ones
    with long nostrils
     Santa Cruz Tube-nosed Fruit-bat
    and teeth askew
     Twisted-toothed Mouse

to the travellers
     Ukrainian Migratory Lamprey
the weavers
     Cascade Funnelweb Spider
the sticky-tongued ant-eaters
     rusty Numbat

to the fantastical
     Ilin Island Cloudrunner
and the magical
     Florida Fairy Shrimp

to the pouched ones
     Tasmanian Wolf
     muzzles gaping wide with their last mournful cries
for all the ones lost
and all the ones to follow

Black and white photo by Sara Harley showing birds in a desolate field.

Desolation by Sara Harley

About Nadja Lubiw-Hazard

Nadja Lubiw-Hazard is a writer and a veterinarian. Her work has been published in The New Quarterly, Room, The Dalhousie Review, Understorey and more; her first novel, The Nap-Away Motel, was published this past spring by Palimpsest Press. A life-long animal-lover and long-time vegan, her writing often explores themes related to the natural world. She lives with her wife, their two daughters, a black pug, and an old orange tabby cat in Toronto. You can find her at www.nmlhazard.com and @nmlhazard.

About Sara Harley

Sara Harley is a photographer living on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. Sara creates photographic art to illustrate a range of emotions. Her images range from dark and brooding to light and inspirational, but always come from the heart. www.saraharley.com. Instagram: @saraharley.photos

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