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Invasives

Alison Hicks

The land was there
In the first place

We said it was empty, required taming
A lawful society rests on a foundation of property rights
We said they are savages

We uprooted, we hewed
Took people from their lands, their continents
Their fruit and trees and flowers
We dashed the plates they held out in welcome to the ground

We said trees are not social, they can’t talk to each other
These people are not people, here to serve us
We said From now on, it is forbidden to speak your language
Later, That’s in the past, all over now

We fashioned the divine in our own image
Created what we wanted to see

We thought we could clean up the forest, tell trees how to grow
Impel people into neighborhoods with red pencils
Break down doors in the dead of night with impunity
We thought we could benefit ourselves, reserve the future for our children
Those who complained had no standing

The trees know better, who defend themselves without moving
sending messages through roots and the air
The land has always belonged to itself
We to ourselves
The elders know, who understand suffering

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