My Family Tree

a thriving ploom in the garden of life
waving in the cool breezes overhanging a cliff
roots embedded in the continent of Africa
branching into Europe, Asia and the Americas

through misguided uncompromising fallacies
some of my branches have lost their leaves in the canopies
my beautiful human fruit have become so rotten
to show any taste of love between themselves forbidden
consequently they’ve become shrivelled and dry
self condemned to die...why?

I’ve been through many-a-forest fires
that have wiped out entire species when times were dire
perhaps I’ve grown too tall for my own branches
because war prunes them into their own dark dug trenches

so as my tops suffocate
in the thinned poisoned undercurrent
collapsing under political instability and overpopulation
disease and lack of absolution
my own weight supported
I’m cultivated
for industry
but oddly enough not forestry
watered by oil
then set alight to boil

to bear evil seeds
by artificial means like weeds
exposure from too much sun
a mutilated son
capable of matricide to shovel
my severed lifecycle

my soul died a thousand years ago
I now only exist in the soil of man’s ego
as he climbs higher
I freeze in the winter
my shade is nothing if not colder
each day he becomes defiant and bolder

black or white
wrong or right
day or night
dim or bright
dark or light
to the lumberjack
><><><><><><><
we’re one trunk


08-22-2015
Tbang
Copyright © | Year Posted 2015

Poem

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Dietrich Avatar
August 24, 2015 at 3:38 PM
this is very deep and intelligent writing. You sure do have a way with words!! Are you living in Africa or elsewhere right now? Will this be your poem in the tree contest or that other one I liked so much? Both are very good.
Ngoma Avatar
August 25, 2015 at 7:18 AM
Thanks Andrea...That means a lot coming from you 'cos your work is Genius...I'm South African, but I consider myself a global citizen...I'm fascinated by European history especially, with it's grandure and epic history...I'll be entering the Pine Tree poem in the contest, but this was inspired by the same prompt...(:heers, Tbang
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