Myth of Arrival

The Chinese Baiji Dolphin was declared extinct this week. The Week Magazine briefly noted:

"Goddess goes extinct" (Yangtze River, China) The Baiji, a freshwater dolphin know as the "goddess of the Yangtze," is extinct, scientists said this week. The latest search of the river produced no sightings of the species, which lived in the Yangtze for 20 million years. Even if a few survive, researchers said, there are not enough to perpetuate the species. The demise is blamed on overfishing, which left the dolphins with little food, and construction of the Three Gorges Dam, which caused environmental devastation across the watershed. (page 9)

I had been working on a song lately, not necessarily a lament but when I read this story I changed everything. Earlier this week, after much complaining to friends, I finally was able to make the music editor Audacity work in way that I felt I could use. All the music I sampled I found at Open Source Music; a home of copyright-free songs various artists post and allow the rest of the world to use. From all of that I created this.

"We are stranded on shore, watching the bountiful sea life disappear before our uncomprehending eyes. For many species, what we do — or don't do — in the coming years will make the difference between existence and extinction … [in the] words of William Beebe. 'The beauty and genius of a work of art may be reconstructed, though its first material expression be destroyed; a vanished harmony may yet again inspire the composer; but when the last individual of a race of living things breathes no more, another heaven and another earth must pass before such a one can be again" (Richard Ellis, 2000).

Forgive us, Baiji, I hope to see you in the next world if you shall have us.

None shall put you back together again.
Damn the Three Gorges Dam. Damn the jaunty
oars, the boat's grunt, the mirth of fishermen.
She is gone. The Goddess of the Yangtze
is gone. Baiji! Baiji! Baiji! Baiji!
Stupid prophet. Stupid cup of wine. You
are too late; for twenty million years She
swam now not even a headstone, bamboo
or wave, will mark where the last, in sickness,
fell. The waters are empty where She swam.
The wine of my heart bitter. I am no
prophet; I could not see this. The Goddess
of the Yangtze is dead. Damn all I am.
Damn all we claim to be, to love, to know.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 18th, 2007 at 7:18 pm and is filed under Original Poetry, Original Song. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.