If we planted a tree¹
by Marléne Rigaud Apollon
If we planted a tree
Every day of the year
Every hour of every day of the year
Every minute or every hour of every day of the year
Every second of every minute of every hour
Of every day of the year
If we planted
A tree
If we planted a tree
For each little girl, each little boy
Their bodies dried up
Their bellies bloated by worms,
Who die of diseases children no longer die of
In rich countries
For each forgotten elderly man, each abandoned elderly woman,
Who dies of sorrow
For each man, each woman,
Each adolescent boy or girl
Who dies of lack of hope,
Lack of reasons for living
If we planted a tree
For each of them
If we,
Whoever we are,
Wherever we live,
Each planted
One tree
Palm, orange, coconut, banana,
Mango, avocado, breadfruit, mahogany,
A Tree,
With "deep roots",
"Plentiful roots",
A tree that will give, give, give,
Ad infinitum
Give of itself a la won badé, all around
To all, for all
For ever.
If WE,
Whoever we are,
Wherever we live,
EACH
Planted
ONE Tree
If we each planted a tree
Every time that we hear…
So that we no longer hear say of us:
"It is
The poorest country of the hemisphere
The dirtiest country of the hemisphere
The sickest country of the hemisphere
The most unstable country of the hemisphere
Le most miserable country of the hemisphere
The most discouraging country of the hemisphere
The most…whatever is worst
In the hemisphere…
The source of the worst ills of the hemisphere".
If, each time,
Each of us,
Planted a tree
If each of us planted a tree
Each time that we are tempted to say…
So that WE
Will stop saying, will stop telling ourselves
"This country is finished, finished, finished,
Hopelessly and for ever and ever"
If each of us planted a tree
If each of us planted a tree
That will become
Hundreds of trees, thousands of trees,
Hundreds of thousands trees
If we planted those hundreds of thousands trees
For our Freedom, tomorrow
Our Prosperity, tomorrow
Our LIFE as a people, tomorrow
IF
IF We…
If we planted, planted, PLANTED…
Perhaps…
SURELY!
LET'S ALL PLANT A TREE
FOR A NEW SEASON!
MERRY CHRISTMAS
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY
HAPPY ANCESTORS DAY
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008
Dec 2007
¹Inspired by the editorial of Moun, Revue de philosophie, Année III - No. 6, Mai 2007 (Institut de Philosophie St François de Sales, Haïti) www.philosophiehaiti.org
