"Don't-Don't!"
Word-Bird
​
​
​
​
​​​
​
Rawpixel, ‘Rainbow Dodo‘
​​
- - -
’Scientists claim they’ve made “pivotal step“ in bringing back the dodo for first time in 300 years’ – The Guardian, 17th September 2025
- - -
​
What’s this? Another miracle at Messrs Church & Lamm?
Let’s check the sources. No, this doesn’t seem to be a scam.
Colossal Biosciences, of Texas – they’re legit!
And once again, they’ve used their trusty de-extinction kit!
Last Spring, they made the dire wolf from ancient DNA –
three bright-white pups, which have the genome from the
common grey.
There’s work in progress – woolly mammoth, massive moa too,
the tiger of Tasmania… all waiting in the queue!
The latest task’s the dodo. Church has made some PGCs! –
that’s germ cells termed primordial – with wondrous expertise.
They’re from a pigeon species, the resplendent Nicobar,
and just require a tweak to build the early bird. Hurrah!
Except, some say, the tweaking makes for something not-the-
same –
no pure-breds, these, but variations, built for fleeting fame.
Yet Church and Lamm are set on resurrection, beast and bird,
and those who warn, ”Don’t-don’t!”, predicting chaos, go
unheard.
​​​
​​- - -
Fliss: Well met, Word-Bird! I’m delighted you agreed to return for the October issue.
​​​
W.-B.: Likewise, FT!
​​​
F: Yes, we seem to be of one mind in these matters. And you’ve been reading The Guardian, I see!
​​​​
W.-B.: That is correct! At present, it is often difficult to find both time and inclination to read newspapers, but this particular item is of great interest to me.
​​​​​
F: I’m interested in dodos too, W.-B. Do you remember researching the dodos of Mauritius, as part of a copywriting project about a decade ago?
​​​​
W.-B.: Very much so! It was pleasant to take our little e-trip. We learned a lot, and I enjoyed re-researching the species last month. I also e-tripped to Colossal Biosciences in Texas. It is a highly ambitious business, FT. I was quite astonished to read of what its members have accomplished to date, and what they are aiming to achieve.
​​​​​​
F: Yes, that’s quite a queue in the poem, W.-B.! The mammoth, moa, Tasmanian tiger, all on their way. And that previous project, the dire wolf!
​​​​​
W.-B.: Indeed! But once I had conducted my research, I realised that what we have here is not de-extinction in the strict sense of the word. One David Coltman, a scientist from Western University, has commented that what has been created is something dire-wolfy; and on that theme we could expect something mammoth-y, something moa-y, something tiger-y, and finally something dodo-y, I believe.
​​​​​
F: Well, these are intriguing variations on the traditional wedding requirements of somethings old, new, borrowed, blue, W.-B.!
​​​​​​
W.-B.: I’ll say! [FT and W.-B. chuckle together.] Anyway, I enjoyed my trip very much. Of course a highlight was seeing the Nicobar pigeon, with its rainbow feathers, loitering outside the lab.
​​​​​
F: And those feathers inspired your chosen pic! It’s really rather pretty, the something dodo-y, if that’s how it’s likely to turn out. But those who warn against these projects have their reasons, I’m sure.
​​
W.-B.: Yes, FT; it has to do with what might happen if any of the somethings were let loose in the real world. It is one thing to rear a creature in the laboratory setting, quite another to place it in nature. As far as I am aware, there are no plans to take the latter course of action, at this time.
​​
F: Well, this has been very interesting, W.-B. Shall we take a quick look at the meter now. before we break for tea?
​​
W.-B.: Do let’s! On this occasion, I opted to compose a fourteener, or a poem in iambic heptameter. Here is my notation:
​​
o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O
​​
I should mention, though, that some readers may detect a slight quirk with the word ’dire’, depending on whether they are willing to hear ’di-re’. I am happy to receive feedback on this point. I did consider ’diehard’, but that would have been factually inaccurate of course.
​
F: Factually inaccurate, yes, but not without a certain something, I feel. And certainly a fitting anticipation of Hallowe’en! As always, many thanks to all our readers and contributors. We wish you an intriguing October and are already looking forward to our November issue. Until then, be wolf-y well!
​​​​​​​
- - -
Word-Bird has been Colombine Companion to FT since 2011, after FT sustained a life-changing injury in hospital. This affected her right knee and somewhat impacted her brain too. Over the years, W.-B. has become increasingly well known in poetry circles and is happy to be on pleasant terms with a number of excellent poets.
- - -​
