Dear Karen:

I read through this poem slowly so as to let the imagery come alive and to ponder the sober depth behind the extinction of a mighty species of animal, in this case, the Siberian Tiger.

Your well written free verse poem made me realize how ignorant I am of all endangered species on this planet, but I now recall, from several years ago, that there was a lot of attention given to this type of tiger, and I don't know today what the status of the Siberian Tiger is. This poem illustrates that even the very last of its kind will continue hunting, perhaps unaware that he is alone, the last. It also shows why its kind is/was wiped out - the "millions' encroaching on his territory.

The endangerment or extinction of any species of wildlife on our planet is as important a topic as air pollution or global warming. They are all related and closely tied together. And just as we need to be aware of the latter issues every day, I, and everyone else, should also be more aware of how we are hurting or wiping out our neighbors in the animal kingdom. We don't have the right to destroy what God created.

Thank you for sharing this thought provoking and perfectly written poem.