from Manatee/Humanity [1]

sing manatee, manatee (you’d better praise all you can he said) all the trembling day


& passing before her captivity
		reiterating a chant of manatee
I began

the manatee is found in shallow slow-moving rivers

the manatee moves in estuaries moves in saltwater bays

the manatee in moving moves gently

the manatee is to be found in canals & coastal areas

the manatee is a migratory animal

the manatee is gentle & slow moving

the manatee in slow-moving rivers slowly

the manatee is completely herbivorous

the West Indian manatee has no natural enemies

the manatee has no natural enemies but unnatural man

the manatee is constantly threatened by man unnaturally

man with his boats & plastic & attitude

the manatee often drowns in canal locks of man

man who makes no concession to manatee

the manatee dies in flood control structures

man who makes no concession to manatee nor cares of manatee

From Manatee/Humanity. Copyright © 2009 by Anne Waldman. Reprinted by permission of the author.