I AM THE CYPRUS CEDAR
A poet am I with leaf, bark, and stem. My needles scratch like pointed feather pens, etching temperament deep into the parchments of the wind. I adorn myself with verse and rhyme. Like stanzas of a poem, I lay my branches gracefully, one over the other, leaving space for interpretation in between. One thought follows another. My ponderings I write in a language laden with the potent scents of mountaintop forests. Lofty lines I hold in airy heights. Colored cones sparkle on barren boughs, inspired by lasting love.
The wind arrives carrying with it a sweet-salty message from the sea. Arising from below, it climbs laboriously up from the coast.
Step by step, field by field, valley by valley, the wind proceeds with dutiful, burdened breath. Up steep mountains, it toils. Resenting its ascent, its air becomes heavy and forceful. Angry and thrashing, the wind finally arrives. It carries with it letters of love from the sea. The wind liberates itself, thrashing branches and bark, exacting on me its price for the journey made. Finally, relieved of its raging tempest, it feels lightened and happy to have eased off its load. Respiring lightly now, the wind slips down to the wide meadows below. With it go my poems as a missive. When it reaches the blue open expanse, the wind will flow out from the coast bearing a whisper on its shoulders: my words of love for the beloved sea.
Thus, with the help of the wind, we exchange our heartfelt love for each other: I, the cedar, and the sea. I suffer impatience, but it is only a matter of time before the next wind arrives. Syllables of color and woody scents stand ready to burst and be carried forth. I call to the wind: “Carry my thoughts with you! Carry my verse to my greatest love: the sea.” Soon her reply will arrive as thoughts carried on air, on the outstretched hands of the wind. I am elevated yet not alone.
Home:
Cyprus, Troodos National Forest Park, Paphos, Cedar Valley
Tree species:
Cedrus brevifolia, Cyprus cedar
Tree family:
Pinaceae, pine
Common Names:
Cyprus cedar
Motivation:
In the past, there were extensive cedar forests on the island of Cyprus. Today, the Cyprus cedar is strictly protected. There is only a modest stand of trees in the high valleys of the island. From this small cedar woodland, I had a wonderful view out into the distance. Through the surrounding clouds, I perceived the azure blue of the Mediterranean Sea. At the end of a long search, I discovered this magnificent cedar and immediately felt its story.