Martin Cobin, age 91, lives in Louisville, Colorado. He writes letters for all the Global Response campaigns, and now he also writes poems that are inspired by the campaigns. “I hope this poem will inspire others, people of all ages, to do what they can to help the Kuy people protect their forest – our forest – Prey Lang.” We deeply appreciate Martin's commitment to taking action on the Global Response campaigns. Thanks, Martin!
Below, read Martin's poem "Whose Forest?" regarding the campaign to save Prey Lang Forest in Cambodia.
WHOSE FOREST?
“Whose forest is this anyway?” you
The people living here are called “Kuee.”
They call the forest where they live, “Prey Lang.”
That means “our forest.” That’s the way we all
can name “our earth,” “our sky,” “our sun,” “our stars.”
But what about the folks who’d like to say,
“The earth is mine. The sky, the sun, the stars
are mine—to do with as I wish if I
can make a profit from it even though
in doing so I might destroy them all.”
You wouldn’t believe them, would you? yet it’s true
by mining, cutting trees, and building roads
that’s what these people think that they can do
right now. They’re threatening Prey Lang today.
Tomorrow do you believe that there they’ll stay?
If they get what they want it isn’t just
Prey Lang they will destroy. Kuee as well
will suffer since they’ll lose their way of life.
If that’s allowed to happen those who feel
the world is theirs, not ours, will gradually
destroy what keeps life good for all of us.
That’s why “kuee” is much the same as “we.”
To stop this is there something we can do?
The answer must be found by me and you.
martin cobin
12/30/11
