»
Archives
»
Open Poetry #37
»
Taung Child
| Open Poetry #37 |
|
Taung Child |
|
|
OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa 
|
TAUNG CHILD 12 January 2006 Three child-years of breath - then two million more your ravaged mind-shield waited - and now at last there is one who sees not a palaeontological find, but mourns the obliteration of your childhood and the unbearable terror, anguish and screaming savagery of your slow, solitary slaughter. - Owl |
||
| © Copyright 2006 Diana van den Berg - All Rights Reserved | |||
|
OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
The fossil of a skull, known as the Taung Child, was found in South Africa and is of a three-year old child. For 80 years it was believed that the child was killed by a leopard, but after much controversy, it has been proved that he/she was killed by an eagle. Apparently, the eagle tore out the eyes and ate them and then tore out of the brain through the eye-sockets. I don’t know at what stage the child died, but I hope it was soon. Whether or not, it would have been horrifically painful and terrifying for an adult – but for a three-year old child . . . it is beyond imagination. http://hermes.wits.ac.za/wcs/display_article.asp?id=535 - Owl |
||
|
Earth Angel Member Empyrean
since 2002-08-27
Posts 40215Realms of Light |
Last evening when I was watching Cold Case Files on TV, they asked viewers to submit any old investigative cases that they had known of that had finally been solved. I'm sure none on them were any where near the 2 million year mark of this mysterious death of the Taung Child! Seriously speaking, your poem really packed a punch to my solar plexus! ~ A great, empathic piece of writing!  Linda [This message has been edited by Earth Angel (03-27-2006 10:12 PM).] |
||
|
OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Thank you, Earth Angel, for your kind words. - Owl |
||
|
The Lady Member Rara Avis
since 2005-12-26
Posts 7634The Southwest |
You have taken my breath away with this one Diana. Kate |
||
|
OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Thank you, Kate. I hope you have it back, again. A colleague of mine lost hers (asthma) and landed up in hospital, but not from reading one of my poems! - Owl |
||
|
JL Member Ascendant
since 2004-04-01
Posts 6128Texas, USA |
"unbearable terror, anguish and screaming savagery of your slow, solitary slaughter. " I went to the web page and read the story. Oh, man! That was so sad. I'm starting to get a better grip on your poetry. This one helped. Enjoyed your illumination... JL  |
||
|
StevenS Senior Member
since 2005-09-21
Posts 945L. A. (Lower Alabama) |
Owl you have a compasionate and tender heart that I should not be amazed can reach across two million years. :-) |
||
|
OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Thank you JL. Thank you for reading so much of my poetry. Happy giggles, Steven. What a sweet thing to say! It is things like that, that makes a hard day lighter. Thank you very much. - Owl |
||
|
Klassy Lassy Member Elite
since 2005-06-28
Posts 2187Oregon |
Steven said what I was thinking. I can't fathom such a thing happening to any child. My heart quails at the thought, too, even if it was milleniums ago. Those birds are huge. My son fished in the Bering Sea for awhile. The bald eagles would scavenge on the boat...entire flocks of them! They weren't intimidated by the fishermen in the least, and the guys showed them great respect. ~Karen |
||
|
passing shadows Member Empyrean
since 1999-08-26
Posts 45577displaced |
oh dear...how tragic and sad! |
||
|
OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Thank you Klassy Lassy and passing shadows. Ooh, how I envy your son, Klassy Lassy! It must have been so exciting to have the bald eagles scavenging on the boat. - Owl |
||
|
|
⇧ top of page ⇧ |
|
| All times are ET (US). All dates are in Year-Month-Day format. | ||
