Category Archives: Country

Photo: the saturdaypaper.com.au

“If Helms is not protected for these birds, we’re going to end up losing the species.” Dee Patterson (Jamarri Rehab Centre & Rescue)

Tomorrow Looking Back

Back rooms, sheds, trunks,
places for future rediscovery of 
things past, things forgotten,
she wandered in with a feather
jet black with a red tip,
my eyes teared,
"What is this?" she asked.

I said,
"let me begin at the ending,
where it all began,
when you were little
we worshipped mining companies,
trusted our governments,
believed our corporate leaders,
listened to their lies,
repeated their rhetoric mantras,
we sat round fires,
sipped our wine,
laughed and made merry,
while the habitat disappeared,
the beautiful black cockatoos all died
leaving only traces,
feathers for the backroom,
a shrine to their memory."


Copyright 2023 ©️Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️ 


Note 1: In the Quote - Helms - refers to a forest block in Western Australia's south west, home to the three species of black cockatoo. Helms is only one block of state forest, there are dozens under threat across the southern half of the state.

Note 2: There are three species of black cockatoo in Western Australia: the Forest Red Tailed, Carnaby's (white tailed) and, Baudin's (white tailed). All three are endangered, Baudin's are on the critical list (estimated at only 4,000 in the wild). The decline rate is predicted to accelerate as further logging and land clearing continue and their food and water sources disappear.

Note 3: Causes of decline are - agricultural spraying, urban development, mining, increased number of bushfires, illegal shooting (by farmers, orchardists, vignerons), vehicle collision (the roads are a source of cereal grains at harvest time as the trucks are not sealed).