The Lost Nature Poem by Noel Tupan

Have I told you about yesterday? ,
of the lush green mountains I saw,
the thick virgin forest,
the flock of birds that dwell on the trees.

Have I told you of what I saw?
The river with crystal clear water,
the school of fish in a shallow sea,
the mangroves that protect the shores.

The fresh air that I breathed,
the rice fields that colored gold,
the water curtains on the earth walls.
All that I witnessed and enjoyed.

Did I tell you of what I see today?
The billowing dark smoke in the air,
the tin boxes running in congest,
the concrete roads that become rivers.

The concrete boxes rising in the fields,
the mountains exposing its scalps,
the arid riverbeds now revealed,
the birds that are now in cages.

Do you know what I visualize for tomorrow?
My children could still see the trees,
the birds, the rivers, and the golden fields,
the school of fish and the beautiful water falls,

They could still see the lush green mountains,
the thick virgin forest.
Hold it in their hands and see,
as they flip the pages of a story.

(01/05/2010, Leyte)