Egg sandwich from a bucket, free.
5 a.m. howlers wind the trees.

One-handed grab of black caiman.
Thatch roofs – craft by no layman.

Night wasps offer a painful treat.
Bark camouflaged by the heat.

Wandering spider, fist-sized, near.
So many species counted here.

Spiked palms. Armored millipede.
Red-faced monkeys raining seed.

Walking stick. Fresh mango peel.
Skin nicked open – slow to heal.

Piranha bites. Pink dolphin glide.
Shutters close as muck boots slide.

Laughter sparked by small eel shock.
Hundred meals from fish and stock.

Mosquito hands, polka-dot skin.
Golden-hour boat ride – settle in.

Mildew stitched into every seam.
Wet tambos framed with chainsaw beams.

Vipers. Cane toad toxin trace.
Sacred kapok – locked in place.

Anteater laid out on the dock.
Meals the only reason for a clock.

Macaws arguing over hue.
Squirrel monkeys checking you.

Cribo tail around my throat.
Rising water. Shanties float.

Toilets with no seats. Street meat smoke.
Mystery grills – still ate, still spoke.

River sink. Soap. Wash your hands.
No sanitizer? Don’t make plans.

Fluffy murder hawk – young, bold.
Guts in knots I couldn’t hold.

Renowned minds. Local sweat.
Too many problems left unmet.

Wet sheets. Old wood. Molded nets.
Open yard – no place for pets.

Filet the cat in sunlight sprawled.
Below, a floor that eats the small.

Plastic bottles – borrowed years.
Collected wild, no system clears.

Tourists come in every shape.
Demons don’t need ports to escape.

Volunteers – no single creed.
Working where the need exceeds.

Poachers slipping farther in.
Ancient warnings dressed as sin.

A breeze arrives. The insects thin.
Some stay to fight.

But how to win?