Ecotourism - A Dream

Ecotourism - A Dream    

My ecotourism is done on a shoestring  
via an airfare war on a flight to central Africa  
where my backpacking odyssey into Rwanda  
takes me into a thatched roof region of the soul.  
There I taste bananas fresh from the plant  
and hold a baby in bundled joy with a cute prehensile tail  
reminding me of our origins among the treetops.  
Here whispers of civil unrest are heard in the cities.
But before me, the exotic flora and fauna
of the forest wait to be explored.  
I chat with a guide on the road to darkness  
about her exit plan for when things heat up  
which I should heed as well.  
But for now, I just bask in the tropical peace  
as though it could go on forever.  
When fights break out in barrooms  
I thumb a ride to the Central African Republic  
with a couple whose van  
is illustrated in their native African art.  
The woman smiles as though all our tomorrows  
will be as peaceful as today  
for us intrepid followers of the moment.