Thank you for your curiosity,
commitment to conservation,
animal sanctuaries, reforestation,
six decades of research
and discovery
thank you for showing us
how apes use tools,
form social bonds,
hug, kiss,
and tickle
thank you for giving me
three lyrical words
from your life’s work
to include in this poem:
Tanzania
Tanganyika
and, of course,
chimpanzees
thank you for your legacy
which will live on,
despite the loss
of an irreplaceable,
dedicated steward
of the environment.
