Lutra Perspicillata

Survival of a species. An otter poem.

Lutra Perspicillata

(India Smooth Coated Otter)
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By the ancient southern forests
Of mighty teakwood trees
On the shores of the Tekkadi
Lies the den of my smooth coated friends
An underwater entrance to my otter family
O Otters of the Sanctuary
Otters of the wild
Live on, live on free

They dive and they fish
They soak in the sun
No more the dangers
Smoke or the ricochet of guns
Teach me of caring and bonding
O Otters of the waters of Tekkadi
Otters of the wild
Live on, live on free

You make wild love in spring time
Life emerges beyond a lifetime
A litter of smokey brown joy
Velvet umber fur and tiny webbed feet
Victory wrenched from the jaws of defeat
O Otter cubs, furry bundles of love
Otters of the wild
Live on, live on free

No more caught in a fisherman’s net
Haute couture design on an elegant neck
No more the social climber’s passionate screams
Or a figment of my wetland dreams
Evolving 30 million years before me
O Otters of the Sanctuary
Fellow caretakers of our planet
Live on, live on free