Apology to the Species Endangered Poem by David Roderick

Easy enough now that we've revised
the bestiary, captured it in pixels
and released it on the Net. Our demise
is your demise, your hell our hell:

oceans brought to simmer, birds
concussed against skylines. At least
the Pope can download a white tiger
from the Tobu Zoo, wallpaper its ghost

on his laptop. Consider us late
illuminators, or blight—the planet's sarcoma.
We regret we made you the emblems

of sacred scripts. They say Rome ate
bluebuck and elephant, ostrich and puma.
Serve us with truffle vinaigrette on a white plate.