For Paulo Paulinho Guajajara, known as “Lobo”, Guardian of the Amazon, killed by illegal loggers
I guard the forest
its canopy of reflected stars
the morpho butterflies+++ the blue moons
bromeliads+++ the fish
the roots of trees
+++drinking in the river
I guard the forest
the children of the tribe
I guard the canopy with its toucans+++ parakeets
emerald
I guard the forest floor+++ with its snakes
I guard the mating jaguars
I knew
they would kill me.
I could not have imagined
that it would be a shot to the
face+++ that my body would be
left in the forest
Now
You guard the forest
its canopy of reflected stars
the morpho butterflies+++ the blue moons
bromeliads+++ the fish
the roots of trees
+++drinking in the river
You guard the forest
the children of the tribe
You guard the canopy with its toucans+++ parakeets
emerald
You guard the forest floor+++ with its snakes
You guard the mating jaguars
Image: “Amazon” by Paul Scott, licensed under CC 2.0.
Deborah Leipziger:
There are so many environmental heroes in the world and yet we often do not know their names. Paulo Paulino Guajajara, known as “Lobo”, was one such environmental hero. As poets, we have the power to celebrate, witness, elevate and champion unsung heroes. Telling their stories feels necessary in this time of ecocide and on-going genocide of indigenous peoples.
I was born in Brazil and I feel a responsibility to shine a light on the rain forest – the violence it engenders and its beauty. This poem began with a New York Times story about Lobo’s murder. I felt a poetic pull, a kinship with the words “Guardians of the Forest.” It called me forth.
I wrote the poem in English but have translated it into Portuguese. I think it’s even more beautiful in Portuguese. It has been translated into Spanish and that version is also very evocative. I feel the repetition – in any language – has a kind of incantatory effect.
To learn more about Lobo and the Guardians of the Rainforest, go to this National Geographic article by Scott Wallace who knew Lobo: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/defenders-threatened-tribes-warn-mounting-hostility-amazon
Deborah Leipziger is a poet, author, and advisor on sustainability. Her chapbook, Flower Map, was published by Finishing Line Press (2013). Born in Brazil, Ms. Leipziger is the author of several books on sustainability. Nominated three times for a Pushcart Prize, Deborah’s poems have been published in Salamander, Lily Poetry Review, POESY, among other places. Her collection of poems, Story & Bone, is forthcoming from Lily Poetry Review Book in January 2023.
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