The loyal little elephant

The herd in the jungle sparse
Their tracks on the forest floor
Their dwindling habitat
Across the Elephant corridor.

In the herd,a newborn babe
Sticking close to its mother great
A carefree spark in the dark world
Unaware of the forest's sorry state.

The herd, a force to reckon with
And yet they tread with utmost care
For a suspicious presence lurks around
Of which they are wearily unaware.

A sudden bang disturbs the peace
No sooner alive the jungle cry
As animals stampede to their death
And threatened birds take to the skies.

The herd on a rampage now
The dark presence now in sight
In the form of a man so vile
Unmoved by their sorry plight.

For the mortally wounded mother lies
Her tough hide by a bullet breached
A victim of man versus beast
To a boiling point this stand off has reached.

He threatens the herd with a gun at hand
Rubbing salt on their wounds sore
It is their turn to retaliate now
Infuriated furthermore.

Some hound him away from there
As their fallen prepares for impending death
And some remain back with her
As she passes away with her final breath.

Their tears soak the parched land
Her new born having witnessed it all
Their grief shall echo across the coming times
As they witness how their numbers fall.

After a lifetime of mourning it is time to move
Life but cannot come to a still
They touch the shattered young
Bidding him to do his mother's will.

But he moves not from his rooted spot
His anguish deaf to their fervent call
Another death has hit the herd
As they watch his lifeless body fall.