Poem introduction
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About the poet
Based in the north-west of England, Mandy Coe writes poetry for adults and children. A...
Extinct
We live in books and photographs.
Our stories all begin with ‘once’.
Three, two, going… going… gone.
Barbary Lion, Atitlan Grebe
Caribbean Monk Seal, Carolina Parakeet.
We tasted good, our forests were yours
Our horn was magic, you wore our furs.
Three, two, going… going… gone.
Javan Tiger, Japanese Sea Lion
Laughing Owl, Passenger Pigeon.
We washed fur with a rasping tongue,
swam and slept beneath the sun.
Three, two, going… going… gone.
Western Black Rhinoceros, Aldabra Snail
Pyrenean Ibex, Wake Island Rail
Stripes and colours, feathers and song.
Skin, shell, teeth, bone.
Three, two, going… going… gone.
from If You Could See Laughter (Salt, 2010), © Mandy Coe, 2010, used by permission of the author and Salt Publishing
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