Tiers of Land
The land and soil are tiered – sad, weary –
as they sit in the sun, the soil remembers
when deep roots plunged into its soul,
holding trees where the rainforest
flourished, plants and flowers
coexisted in harmony under the forest’s canopy.
The old ones, indigenous tribes with historical
roots, lived in and around there, entwined
with the forest—both sets of roots knotted, tied.
The old tribes only took what was needed,
occasionally borrowing some, clearing a place to
grow maize, yams, cassava.
The rainy season came—strong winds and rain,
blowing in galleons, ships, buccaneers, pirates,
who braved the weather and pulled up on beaches,
their hearts set on profit and plunder.
They saw weak indigenous tribes,
naive people of the new world—
profiteers who saw no beauty to protect,
nor a way to live without violence and greed.
They sowed the seeds of misery and despair.
In the summer sun and changing seasons,
independence and hope are peeking through.
The dark clouds dispersing the past.
Now, seeds of hope are taking root,
as the land remembers its past
and sees a new beginning.
Chris Barras is a Cumbria-based poet and writer whose work is deeply rooted in West Cumbria. He explores the local histories of Whitehaven and its harbour, and is passionate about bringing archive material, objects and local stories into contemporary poetry through the lens of eco-poetics. Chris wrote “Tiers of Land” in response to histories connected with The Rum Story. We encourage others to share their creative and artistic responses to theses histories with us too. For more information, email katy.haigh@rumstory.co.uk.
