Sunday, July 20, 2014

Creative Spot - A Poem by Mahendra Gonsalkorala

We are trees

We are trees and live on what you breathe out 
We just stand and observe day in and day out 
We only move when it's windy, staying still mostly
We are alive like you, and do grow,  albeit slowly. 

Yes, we have no feelings, and devoid of emotion
But that’s no bad thing is our considered notion
You see, we don't feel pain sadness or hunger 
And this may be the reason we carry on longer

You ask us, ask us, are you conscious?
"What is consciousness", we remark
"Have you got a soul", you then ask
Questions! Questions! Goodness gracious

2 comments:

  1. Trees are yet another wonder of nature the oldest being a Norwegian Spruce 9550 years old.. My thoughts go back to my childhood living in Nugegoda. I went to a small barber shop for a hair cut along High level road. As I sat on the throne getting my hair slashed my only companion was the Illustrated Weekly of India, a fine journal. There was a full page photo of a BO tree (Ficus religiosa) with spreading branches , buttress roots and all its glory. What caught my eye was the caption below “ONLY GOD CAN MAKE A TREE”. The photographer got carried away by its sheer beauty but I am sure you appreciate its irony too. I left the barber shop with multiple red patches at the back of my thighs having been nibbled by bedbugs (Cimex lectularius)
    ND

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    1. Hi ND (Homo Sapiens). Isn't it interesting, we all know what a Tree is but it is not easy to define what it is and as far as I know, it is strictly not a Botanical term. I came across this description of trees.
      "Everyone knows a tree when they see one, but describing precisely what a tree is can be tricky. The generally accepted definition of a tree is that it is a plant with a more or less permanent shoot system that is supported by a single woody trunk.

      Trees are the tallest free-standing organisms in the world. They live longer and become larger than any other living organism on earth. With more than 80,000 species growing worldwide, they come in all shapes and sizes; from tiny Arctic Willows a few centimetres high through to giant Redwoods over 100 metres tall.

      Trees differ from shrubs. Shrubs normally branch near the ground and sometimes have several narrow stems rather than one single trunk. Having several stems means a shrub can support many leaves but their overall structure is less rigid than one single, thick tree trunk".

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