The Heart of Darkness

The once dark heart

Is pierced by blinding light

Which shatters the eternal night

Causing pulse to sicken

Leaving Baka stricken

How now will Baka eat?

To what darkness now retreat?

With lifeblood draining truck by truck

The Baka may be out of luck.

Light has come to the eternal night of the Congo Basin rainforest. Ancient forest giants festooned with vines crash to the forest floor with a mighty noise that for a moment drowns out the roar of the chainsaws. Monkeys and other forest animals flee in terror as the bright light of civilisation finally reaches the dark heart of Africa. The Baka pygmies look on while the forest resources so necessary for their livelihoods and culture disappear. But the Baka are pragmatic and there is always more forest to move to. Or is there? Unless something is done soon to slow or halt the rapid deforestation of the Congo Basin rainforest there will soon be no old growth forest left for the Baka and no wildlife left to hunt. What then for the Baka? What then for the planet? We cannot allow this to happen.