There were no signs of violence
his body was intact no incursions were
found into his territory nothing in his
hut had been disturbed indigenous expert
Marcos Dos Santos told local media outlets
in Brazil that he was the sole survivor after
the rest of his tribe had been killed by illegal
miners in 1995 his name was not known
he lived in total isolation for 26 years
he was known as the man of the hole
as he dug deep holes some of which
he used to trap animals others he used
to hide in he was uncontacted having
never been in touch with the outside
world he avoided all contact
he had been monitored for many
decades by Funia and other agencies
his body was found emaciated
in a hammock outside his hut
knowing he was going to die
he covered himself in macaw feathers
to many tribes this bird is almost Godlike
seen by them as the symbol of the sun
that brings healing through colour and light
it is also the mark of fertility to the rain forests
as they forage for fruits and nuts
they drop seeds through their excrement
that propagates life in the undergrowth
it represents grace and ease
to the indigenous tribes it is the guardian
the protector of the air song of the winds
it carries prayers to the heavens it evokes
a sense of magic of song and communication
it can mimic the human voice
that same human voice now silent
that voice that once filled the forests
and river banks that spoke to the birds
and angles and carried invocations
where dinosaurs roamed
and pterodactyls flew
.
James McLaughlin
.