Otherwise Never-ending
Saver of Life
Janet Kuypers
3/10/24
Not needing a passport from the U.S.
(and no, I won’t sing that this is the
51st state of the U.S.A., I promise...)
The original appeal of Puerto Rico to
Me was the rainforests. After arriving,
And before we got the chance to visit
Bamboo-filled, or even “dry” rain-
Forests, we saw this was the home of
Arecibo.
That changes our mission altogether.
Now, I’m not the type to believe in
UFOs, but credit Arecibo Observatory
With the first binary pulsar discovery
& The first extrasolar planet discovery.
I don’t care if The X-Files brought Fox
Mulder there looking for evidence of
Extraterrestrial life, this largest radio
Telescope for over fifty years had a
Real history of exploration no one had
Known before. I was officially hooked.
Of course, I was irritated that my camera
Couldn’t span the entire basin, but they
Needed something that huge to measure
The composition of the ionosphere, and
Hey, if you’re worried about hazardous
Asteroids, Arecibo was our safety net &
Protector... So, it was good to get that
Gushy feeling being in the presence of
Such a piece of astronomical history
Before making or way to the rainforests.
—
Tropical rainforests. Knowing Brazil
Rainforests suffered a twenty percent
Deforestation for more orange groves
And cow pastures for mass slaughter,
I fear our planet losing its most major
Resource that saves us from climate
Catastrophe. So, it was beautiful to
Immerse yourself among miles of
Bamboo —and heartbreaking to see
That someone carved a pair of initials
Into this otherwise never-ending
Saver of life.
—
Before then, I kept bamboo growing in
Multiple spaces throughout out my home.
Since then, I’ve saved more bamboo for
Display everywhere, including meditation
Spaces — and even as a floating picture
Frame around my El Yunque tropical
Rainforest wall photography, as I still
Worry about when the rainforest will be
Forever gone...
Like Arecibo Observatory.
In horror, I watched video footage of the
Destruction of a vanguard for learning
About what is beyond our little blue ball.
So, remember: it is thrilling what you can
See while you have the chance, because —
Knowing what humanity is capable of,
you never know
How long these things you love will last.
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