Forgotten People
Death of diplomat revives memories of Vanuatu’s ‘coconut war’

Meanwhile, the trees keep falling....

GARY JUFFA

An entry in The Crocodile Prize
Kina Securities Award for Poetry

ForestThe verbiage of supposed concern in parliament is tremendous
The rhetoric promoted by the elected officials certainly impressive
These seemingly agitated leaders that express much outrage and nothing else

And the trees keep falling

Empty promises, yet to be kept, empty lands, bare feet, empty pockets
The birds have flown, the land is quiet, streams muddied, all creatures no more
Weeds quietly grow where majestic giants and their kin once stood,

And the trees keep falling

The keepers at the gate, have failed their promises and their duties and sold out
Their pockets filled, their mouths gagged, their bellies swollen
Chinese meals, offshore trips, fat accounts and inconsiderate hearts

And the trees keep falling

Elaborate formulae and intricate financial arrangements, clever accounting
Tax evasion, capital reinvestments, money transfers and royalty scams
Forestry Plans, poor surveillance, ignorant rubber - stamping bureaucrats

And the trees keep falling

Will we ever hear the cry of the bird of paradise? Fill our lungs with fresh air?
Will children hear the rustling of green leaves caressed by a cool forest breeze?
Will the muddied brook be crystal clear again and the exotic fish be found there?

And the trees keep falling

Comments

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Mrs Barbara Short

This is SO sad. I've heard about the devastation in Borneo, Sarawak and Sabah, and now the mad Malaysians have come to steal the rainforests of PNG.
The orangutangs have lost their home, now the Bird of Paradise. May the sane people of PNG rise up and save the country before it is too late.

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