You Must Never Tell Secrets At The Edge Of The Forest Poem by Dorothy (Alves) Holmes

The towering pine were poised
at the edge of the forest, standing
in all their majesty,
arms locked, heads touching,
speaking in whispers.
They exchanged secrets the wind
stole and scattered.

So began the saga of the woodlands and
man's intrusion with ax and gun.
Hearing of its bountifulness and beauty,
man intruded upon this haven for God's
creatures.

'I told you so! ' Admonished the sun.
'What will we do? ' sang the birds in
melancholy notes...
The woodpeckers pecked in woeful harmony.
'Where will we hide' wailed the owl, no
longer giving a hoot.
The crows cawed, cawed, telling a loathsome tale.

Wolves bayed to the moon, deer and fawn
walked in circles.
Bob O Links and mocking birds all spread
the warning that soon man would invade by and by,
moon beams lit up the sky.
The bears hibernated deeper in the woods,
the elk could find no place to hide.

Squirrel and chipmunks chattered...raccoon
left the the wood, the roam in nearby neighborhood.
The possum all played dead.
Big and small the animals scattered for they
knew there was much to dread.

Who told the secret of our wealth they all
wanted to know.
The sun said to the whispering pine, 'Didn't I
tell you so! '
'Didn't I warn you to never tell secrets at the
edge of the forest fore the wind would steal them
awake and tell of our peace and tranquility.
Just you wait and see! '

So it began between the animals of the Forest
and man as man began to cut and burn as they
tried to make it their own.
The once happy animals had become prey, hunted
and hated, or so thought the God's creatures.
Trophies on wall, bragged about.

They come in orange hats and vest, guns roaring...
'Told you! ' scoffed the sun, 'Told you! '
'Never tell secrets by the edge of the forest,
someone will hear, someone will hear! '

(written one morning in 1986...