St. Lucia Landing (excerpt 3)
63
Flower Man
Hurt Not the Trees
Environment Man
Father Earth
55-year-old Cyril Cherry
In blooming hat says,
"I can spend twenty minutes
Admiring a tree. Like a man
Looks at a woman, so
I look upon trees.
As long as it is a tree,
I am in love with it."
64
"People cut trees because
They have no more love
In their hearts. If you love,
You protect, and the more
You love, the more you
Want to protect. Trees enrich
The soil and help keep the
Water in it, which makes streams,
Rivers, and falls. Plant trees
For good health. I'm happy to
Wake up and sell trees."
65
Man Job,
The Rastafarian,
Tells us the land is us,
We come from the soil,
Everything in the universe
Is part of us, and
Food is basic, he says,
If you live right,
You won't fall sick.
If you are born healthy,
And you don't eat rubbish
And you live naturally,
You will live a long life.
66
Jamaican ackee, orange, grapefruit, okra,
Sweetsop, cashew, golden apple, lettuce,
Taiwanese plum, soya, melon, cucumber,
Sweet pepper, cabbage, broccoli, corn,
Mung beans, cauliflower, tomato---
At Roots Farm, Mabouya Valley.
—Paul Marion (c) 2018