Preserving our Majestic and Poetic Trees

A letter writer, in an article captioned “Mutilation of a magnificent silk-cotton tree”, published in the October 6th edition of a section of the media, spoke very beautifully and emotively about the magnificence of the silk-cotton tree.

This writer wishes to give support to Mr. Darrell Carpenay, where Mr. Carpenay went on to mention that, even beyond the mere cutting of the tree, it affects the aesthetics as well. I am pained by the destruction of this beautiful tree, which I have always admired, and even preserved the energy of this tree whenever I passed it.

These ancient trees have a way of disseminating wisdom and inspiration to artists, philosophers, spiritualists, and those in meditation. They have been standing in their magnificent posture — like giants gazing into the sun and moon — for hundreds of years of Man’s civilization. They probably were there even before the commencement of the City of Georgetown.

Many more trees like this one have been destroyed throughout the country, and it is painful that we do not have a society controlled by a Government Ministry to watch over these trees that provide the aesthetics, inspiration, philosophy and wisdom to children and to life.

Strangely enough, my views on the cutting down of this tree coincide with the President being involved in a tree-planting exercise along with the Ministry of Agriculture, and right now I am also planting various kinds of fruit trees. At this moment, I have many fruit trees growing from seeds that I have set to germinate: papaws, pomegranates, sapodillas, star-apples, mangoes, etc.

My personal pledge is that, for the rest of my life, ever so often, I will be planting trees in open spaces so that the birds and insects can eat. And when the birds and insects, or God’s creations, eat, it is like God eats.

People eat, pick, share, and sell the fruits of trees so that they may be able to live. It is a divine cause and vision that I have been getting in recent times: To create a legacy as I enter into my more mature years — I may have a few more years remaining in this world — and this is the kind of legacy that I wish to leave behind.

Let us preserve our trees. Let us plant trees, every kind of tree; fruit trees are better because they provide us with food and, like all other trees, they produce oxygen and absorb our body waste in the form of carbon dioxide from our body.

I recall that around #74 Village Corentyne, there was a large ‘sweety’ tree. Amazingly, this tree would bear a fruit-like sweet that we would consume as children and adults. The fruits would fall from the heavens in that magical manner like the Israelites were fed in the wilderness when they moved with Moses. Some years ago, I was made to understand, the administration of the Town Council of Corriverton or the NDC decided to take this tree down. Hundreds of trees like this one, growing throughout the Coastal Belt, have been wiped out by people who do not understand that these trees have to hold the earth together. They do not understand that these trees have the capacity to heal us — if we go and touch them — with the healing energies that they have absorbed from the sun.

These trees absorb positive thoughts from the universe, and by worshipping their Creator, they are becoming agents of the Creator to heal humanity.

Do not laugh, dear readers, if you see someone hug an old tree or even a new tree, and kiss it or speak to it. This writer speaks to the grass. This writer speaks to the air. This writer speaks to the waters, and this writer speaks to the trees, and hugs them and asks them for energy, power and healing.

People of Guyana, do not misconstrue the power of the trees, the grass and the plants. My recommendation to the Government of Guyana is to form a proper agency to protect and conserve these trees; and for us Guyanese not only to preserve our heritage through history, historical artifacts and buildings but also to preserve the living legends that are still alive, which we refer to as the sweety tree, silk-cotton tree and the jumbie tree.

Even the jumbie tree needs to be preserved for the enchanting howling sounds it produces as the wind passes through its various channels. As the longest living species on earth, these trees give us a link between the past, present and future. Who knows what stories these majestic creatures of yesteryear have to tell us!

We have to open up our horizons and be able to communicate with nature. A tree can become a trusted friend that inspires and energizes you mentally, physically and spiritually. We must respect these living legends at all cost, and protect them for the future.