(Philippine Tarsier Foundation in Loboc, Bohol)
Charles, next in line
To the throne of England,
Held him:
Palm-sized proto-simian,
Tiny tea saucers for eyes,
Mouth with needle teeth,
More ancient than any
Emperor or King.
Perhaps, because
They both have big
Ears, the maomag
Was named after its
Illustrious visitor.
Or maybe because
Both proto-simian
And English royal
Are rare; at times,
Endangered species.
Whatever the reason,
It was good photo-op.
Maomag sitting quietly
On Prince Charles’ palm.
The caretaker
At the Tarsier Foundation
Warned us: most maomag
Detest human touch,
Smell, or vicinity.
These are all wild, he said,
When they get stressed
Some of them bash
Their own heads in,
Against tree trunks.
And we are left to imagine
Proto-simian suicide.
That was decades ago.
Charles the Maomag
No doubt has died
By its own head-banging
Or otherwise.
The other prince
Ascended as King:
He still lives as these
Words are writ.
(Poem updated following Charles’s ascension to the throne of the United Kingdom.)
*Maomag is the local name for tarsier (Carlito syrichta)
