Tears of the Forest

By: Lori Mellott
As I slowly in this warm-blooded, vibrant, lush,
green forest fragrant with the scents of cedar,
pine and a plethora of flowers all lovining
kissing me, I inhale the pungent, pleasure scent of
earth enfolding me in Mother Earth’s
Loving embrace. All that surrounds me pulsates
and ripples with the melodious
rhythms of life.

As I strip and stand contemplatively
in the midst of this unending beauty,
my sense pause, absorbing the exotic, erotic,
beauty of it all. Hugging sister cedar tree I feel
her heartbeat bursting with rich, robust life!
She is strong and happy! Gazing at her I see her
uncompromising strength, her magnificent size
speaks to my soul telling me she has stood
sentinel here for many, many moons

listening to all her voices, I hear my
feathered relations singing and nesting, bringing
new life forth from the safety of her
luxuriant hair. Her sweet, gentle spirit
speaks to my soul of spiritual freedom
and honoring of the spirits.
Protect and treasure it” are the words
and feelings flowing into my soul

breathing deeply of the acoustically
scented air, the scared cedar’s breath clams,
cleanses, blesses and bolsters my spirit,
giving me clarity of thought and
renews my inner being. Contentment
and connection flow within
my spirit. All is walking in beauty
the harmony and tranquillity of this scared,
honored place is suddenly shattered by the
horrific, thoughtless intrusion of modern
technology! An ominous sound echoes
throughout this scared haven, a sound
that promises death! A chainsaw! Big. Loud.
Deadly. It is here to keep its
deviant promise its mechanical teeth,
honed to razor sharpness glint in
father suns brilliant light, flashing
it message of death to all Mother’s Children.
The mechanical blood of this steel
demon drips silently onto the ground
below polluting all it touches,
finding yet another way to kill.

the human force guiding this instrument
of death’s construction tightens its ghastly white
grip and stands in front of my beloved
and beautiful sister with grinning
anticipation. It cannot wait to destroy this
Mothers child!
The sharpened chain teeth viciously,
mercilessly into her soft, yielding, tender flesh
B I feel my spirit weep and shudder
with anger, pain and disbelief as
sister cedar calls out to me in
unendurable pain and agony,
“why, Why do they do this to me?”
She shudders, cracks and stumbles as she
sings her death dance. She is falling, falling
to Mother Earth below. Cascading down
as if in slow motion, they know
the end is here. Gentle as a feather
they slight on the forest floor.

A final unforgiving crack, groan
and thunderous roar and my vibrant,
beautiful sister cedar lies
on a soft bed of moss, silent.
Still. Still. Blinded by my tears,
I find my way to her side and gently,
loving stroke my fallen sister
and feel her strong spirits fire fade.
Oh, sister, I feel your pain and
muted sorrow! If only I could stop it,
change this path!

The human creature again grasps
the instrument of death and
destruction and gladly walks on
to its next condemened victim.
and the next, the creatures smiles
maniacally, finding in these mindless,
needless deaths, preverse, sadistic joy

sister cedar, I cry for your death
and the death of all the children
you will never bear!
Barren sorrow crowds my spirit,
darkness my soul!
You have stood watch over these
majestic woods for centuries
and now your wise, sweet
voice is quelled. Forever,

how do I stop the many humans
creatures from delivering
deaths swift blows?
Oh, I cry dear, dear fallen sister,
I, too, shed the tears of the forest
onto Mother Earth. For you
and all Mother’s children,
whose lives all to the human
creatures deadly white mission

what can I do sweet sister?”
I feel as if my hands are chained,
poverty, inaction shackle my spirit.
Beseechingly, I pray to the Grandfathers,
Grandmothers and sister cedar’s spirit
as the winds blows gently from the East.
“Much” whispers east wind, “Much”