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REQUIEM (FOR THE GIANTS) (Eileen McGann) 400 years ago a seed, chance fallen, grew In virgin forest land that never white man knew In woodland silence it rose and flourished By northern wind was shaped, from earth and sky was nourished White pine, silver birch Sing their names in requiem Giants of our northern land We'll never see your likes again 200 years ago the giants ruled the Shield 'Til white man came and saw the profits they could yield They fell like thunder and left no trace But giant stumps that stand as headstones in their place In north Ontario some giants still remain Though few in number now the axe-man comes again What will you tell them when your children ask you why Our last remaining forest giants had to die And what gives them the right I ask To take what's not their own To kill a living beauty that 400 years has grown To take and sell our heritage to fill pockets for a day And when this crop is gone, what will they say And when this crop is gone and the trees are gone The wild is gone and the beasts are gone And the tourist gone and the money gone What will they say? White pine... Silver birch... Requiem... From the collection of Andrew Draskoy, andrew@bransle.ucs.mun.ca @environment @tree filename[ REQUIEMG AJS oct97 |
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