A palms for thought – Poem by Chloe Passey
Journey from Sepilok to Kota Kinabulu was a beautiful but at the same time sad experience and evoked me into writing this poem about the future of the Borneo’s rainforest. I feel lucky and energised being able to visit this wonderful country and within it’s jungles, fantastic bird, mammal and insect species but for how long? Only people can determine the future.
The soulless jungle of palms.
A country gardened with farms.
Deforested? But the land looks so full!
That’s what I thought until I saw the dull,
Fields and fields if ugly weeds,
Mass produced to sustain our greed.
Looking across at the sheets of green,
A jungle quickly coming undone at the seams.
What is it for? Is it worth all the loss?
What will be the future costs?
We have leveled you out,
No variety or height.
We have created this monotonous sight.
And replaced you with spiky plants,
Allowing you to house only a family of ants.
Stripped of the animals,
Trees big and small,
All at the ring of the human call.
Put in our foods, we eat.
Or used in creams to rub in our feet.
Palm oil,
We have spoiled!
Reducing where our neighbours live,
Putting them through a rainforest sieve.
I am sorry, we must stop.
Let us find a different crop.
Give our forests a chance to regrow,
To be varied and vast, to let nature flow.
Bring back the trees, let them reclaim,
Allow the orangutans to keep their name.
The forest should be allowed a soul,
To be left alone and unfold.
Hopefully one day we can give it all back.
And let the Earth get back on track.
Chloe Passey 
Certainly makes you think about what we are doing to our environment x
Beautiful Chloe
Lots of love
Helen Cahill xxxxx
So glad that you are recording much of what you are seeing and experiencing on your travels. The magnificent and It’s opposite and everything in between, all are part of this World. When you return from this adventure, you can inform the rest of us as a Witness. Perhaps you will make some life-changing decisions about your professional future because you have been touched by what you have seen and experienced. Keep writing and drawing Chloe … and keep us all up to date with the lovely photographs, poems, drawings and stories. Keep enjoying and keep safe. Much love from us in Wales. ❤