The Grapevine Art & Soul Salon

PRESENTATIONS: ASIIMWE SIMON

The Wrath

In my mind's eye, I see beauty
that brings me close to the natural world.
The sight of free birds roaming the sky
reminds me of the past, when I was a child.
And then comes the vision of rolling hills
grasslands covered by morning dew
butterflies wandering all over the fields
squirrels and moths and rats, too.

In the woods yonder, the birds sing.
From distant caves, foxes bark.
Pilgrims are bathing in hot springs
for healing, cleansing, and some for luck.
After wandering in the imaginary paradise
I wake up to reality in the world of absurdity.

The hills once covered by matted grass
are now completely bare, barren and dusty.
Where the woods were natural and green
is now the home of groaning machines.
The once beautiful blue sky has turned brown
with rising smoke from toxic machines.
Danger and death are all around us
because we decided they belong among us.

Additional Comments by Asiimwe Simon

It's ironic when we modern humans try to cheat nature in this human-environmental ecosystem arrangement designed by our creator. Unlike our ancestors who, in their own means of living, took it as their responsibility to protect what they regarded as sacred, we have let our greed blur our insight into the terms and conditions that our ancestors negotiated with the creator on matters of inter-dependency between nature and humans.

In deep and interesting research into my culture and traditions, I have come across many stories glorifying nature as a powerful divinity controlling many aspects of life. In one way or another, during great tribulations, humans have found solace in the natural world. No matter how much we have distanced ourselves from the ancient beliefs, their perception of natural objects being portrayed as the true reflection of their creator still lingers in our minds. For example, in Uganda, according to old tales, there some trees you will be advised not to cut or tamper with, some hot springs you're supposed to bathe in not for pleasure but for healing, some mountains you're not supposed to climb unless it's a pilgrimage. These sacred natural places are mostly protected by stories told from generation to generation.

In my opinion, we need nature more than nature needs us, and we should at all times preserve it for a better future. We need not to over-exploit natural resources despite our ambitions in the race for technological advancement. Let's use what is necessary and preserve part of it for future generations. Here is my favorite quotation, from NATURE by Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Nature never becomes a toy to a wise spirit."

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For more on Asiimwe Simon and his writing, go to the column Praise Poems and scroll down page to a link that takes you to his page.