Perhaps the fate of Easter Island
was not sealed by the human who felled that last tree,
but by the rat that ate the last palm nut
Other South Pacific islands
have also seen civilisations rise and fall,
though none have left such dramatic reminders of their passing
as the giant statues of the Rapa Nui
Now re-erected,
they've come to symbolise
how precarious life can be on an isolated island
For this island has not been abandoned
A few Rapa Nui survived,
and now they're thriving once more,
entertaining visitors from the outside world
Trees have been planted,
though it's too late for the unique creatures that once lived here
Elsewhere, on islands throughout the Pacific,
there is still time
People are working hard
to remove the creatures that don't belong here
and make space once again for the curiosities,
from kagus to kakapo,
that make the South Pacific such a uniquely wonderful world