Frank Bana - The Rhinos

They are more important: understand
They watch over the plains from which we sprang
The plains we glimpse in monochrome at dawn
Not realizing what our eyes feast on
Protected by a camera or a glove
From that which we have learned to fear or love

They are more important: understand
They occupy edenic promised land
No title and no good deed left undone
It is their own, their holy site and stake
Where they are pacified and burned
By subterfuge and cruel recoil
Of tranquiliser dart and gun

Now in this casual struggle to the last
Who will outlive the other, who can tell
The pachyderm, the homo sapiens
Distilling shame from all magnificence
The quicksands of commercial commonsense:
The plains are emptier than when we came
They who are more important, almost tamed.

Frank Bana

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-rhinos/