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a little(late) on tobago

tobago is a nonglamorous caribbean island 26 by 7 miles
with 55,000 people descended primarily from slaves
a few indigenous carib and ariwak descendents remain
life moves slow
the island has the oldest protected rain forest in the western
hemisphere and many cool birds. great surfing, mtn. biking
(extreme) main industry is fishing and tourism (i'm bringing
2 nice saltwater fly outfits) there are some really bad roads
with crazy drivers
the trade winds blow
rainy season starts sept. they have big lizards. open sewage
there is a lot of environmental work to be done
we patrol the beaches at night to protect the giant
leatherback turtles from poachers when they are nesting
there once was monkeys, deer, wild cats, and an assortment
of creatures but people ate them
now people are trying to reintroduce them
mostly hunters so they can be hunters again
can't be a hunter if there is nothing to shoot
there are powerful people who want to turn the island into a
concrete catastrophe politics are really corrupt
beer is cheap the guiness is powerful from the bottle 7.5%
there are not many fat people it can be hard to get things
split my time up a lot sculpting, swimming, riding, reading
making love, dreaming, complaining, etc.
same ol' i am
old, disposed, rusted out water tanks for my scrap
steel to sculpt with
beauty is mostly pleasurable to pursue i like it there
it would be better with a boat
there is little opportunity to make money outside of tourism
it sucks being poor life is a trade you should come someday
they have the best right in all the west indies at mt. irvine
(it's over coral though and i'm past the surfing learning
curve. i snorkel instead) did i mention there are some big
fucking lizards?
and caught no fish

from letter written to friend upon request but never sent. 07/02.

14 Mar 10

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probably the friend would have appreciated it as an arty letter and thought how like you it was, or maybe not.

why are you posting it here, instead of on american express cruise lines blogger for old people on cruises to make their trip seem like it happened?
 — bmikebauer

because you didn't make the cruise, wise guy. he's just being nice to you. shut up and read up.
 — varun

'beauty is most pleasurable to pursue' is a great line, hank.
 — varun

yeah, guess i still believe it too.
 — hank

outside vaults you invited a boy to play with football, boy ran off to his father crying. you said 'in the caribean the boy would have smiled a big smile and played'. i remember that and have wanted to go ever since.
 — stout

 — hank

I just love your adventures, V.!  They make me feel like I'm on a National Geographic special or somethin'!  Hope you're well.  You sound like you are.  xo
 — starr

stout and hank = one person, right?
 — unknown

Why would you post this on a poetry site?  This isn't the right venue.  My brother is currently in Tobago, this very minute, leading a birding trip.  

Why didn't you try to make a poem of this?
 — Isabelle5

 — sir_I_clan

why did starr say "V"? Why did Isabelle The Fifth say this is not a poem?

hank = stout = sir_I_clan, right?
 — unknown

i'm really confused now.
 — varun

 — hank