Voice of the Trees

The wind carries soft sounds across continent, ocean, wild tundra,
grassland, forest, city, suburb, farm,
a voice beyond human hearing.

Should we go?
Should we stay?

Root and water pulse sounds deep inside earth,
through song lines in rock, soil, coral reef, seabed,
down river and stream, wave and current singing across oceans.

Should we go?
Should we stay?

Our Guardian Humbaba is killed.
His seven terrible radiances could not save him.
His roar that brought deluges to the land could not save him.
His mouth of fire could not save him.
His deadly breath could not save him.
Rustled warnings in leaves sixty leagues away
He heard, but it did not save him.

The lion-headed Imdugud bird screamed,
threw thunder and terrible tears to flood the mountains.

The Bull of Heaven roared and pawed the ground with his terrible hoof,
and the earth shook apart buildings leagues away. 

The Sacred Forest was splayed open to the axes
of the Lying Thief-King and the Betrayer.

The Betrayer Enkidu died, was forgotten, but the deed lived on.
The Lying Thief-King Gilgamesh died, was forgotten, but the deed lived on.
For six thousand years Tree sings the questions:

Should we go?
Should we stay?

If we go, they will die.
If we stay, we will die.

The terrible questions sing on wind
through branch and leaf across the earth.

The terrible questions sing in rock and river and current
hrough trunk and root across the earth.

Should we go?
Should we stay?

Now approaches Decision.
Now comes Decision.