(Musee d’histoire naturelle, La Rochelle)

Displayed in semi darkness,
fossil fish swim skeletal
beneath the pterodactyl skull.
First shot, then stuffed, wild animals
face south in ordered rows by genus.
Polar bears come last, leave first.

In attic rooms, first people
lightly touch the Earth in passing,
banished to the anthropology
of strangely beautiful beliefs.
We admire our domination: kill off
species that we need to stay alive.

Kathy Gee

 

Kathy Gee’s career is in UK heritage and in leadership coaching. Widely published online and on paper she has published two collections Book of Bones (V.Press 2016) and Checkout (V.Press 2019).

© 2019