I, Tree In Manaus Poem by Pishone James

I, tree in Manaus
standing tall and proud
coiled in the mist
the mist, heavy and deep
with all my lianas
curled like vines
I, home to the wanderers
the capuchins and the gibbons
I, a tree in Manaus

I, tree by the roadside
stunted and small
diseased by smoke and fog
yet tough and unrelenting
home to the city birds
sometimes home to the hunters
and shelter to the prey

I, weak and forgotten
but to this day
I wish I was
a tree in Manaus