Jacqueline Leung

Borneo Rainforest, Malaysia

Our hunt for the proboscis monkeys
Started on a boat sailing along murky waters.

After minutes of squinting, anticipating,
We spotted them. Seven of them.
One male, three females, babies on their backs.

Hopping from tree to tree,
reddish brown, long nosed monkeys
Navigated through the rainforest with extreme precision and agility.

Daylight dimmed,
And soon our sight
Was blinded by the darkness of the night.

City dwellers
faintly disturbed by the quietness of the night.
Only occasional bird squeals, hushed sounds of the wind, unuttered rhythm of the waters.

Amidst the darkness,
Flickering lights congregated on a tree alongside the riverbank.
Soon, uncountable shimmers of green appeared.

Fireflies,
Miniscule, I caught one.
It glimmered between my cupped palms.

Holding it as delicately as I could,
I marveled at this amazing sight.
Finally, I let it go…

Digital cameras, unsuccessful in capturing images of the insects,
Therefore this phenomenon,
I had to forever imprint in my mind.

The water underneath us,
Is even more mysterious now.
Our eyes wander, anxious to spot one more type of wildlife.

But crocodiles with red eyes never rose from the waters,
So we sail back to the pavilion pier, and back to civilization.