Nature's Bane

Nature is Beautiful.

As I walked through the forest, filled with its greenery and shine,my heart rejoices to hear the trickle of raindrops falling from leaves after a small afternoon shower,the birds chirping and trees whispering. The golden rays of the sun through the tree tops...its a lovely sight for many to see. I journeyed through the forest, twigs crackling under my feet, leaves falling, in a shower all around me. I seek peace, quiet and calmness of the green lands, flowers and insects a plenty. A gentle breeze rushes through my hair and my nose is filled with the pleasant sweet smell of the trees.

My feet suddenly stepped upon an aluminium can, yet that crushing sound seemed so unfamiliar to me. Grieved, I spot many litter... cans, food bags...lying unwanted amongst the dead leaves of trees. The whispering of the trees seem to warn me of the destruction that is at hand. Forests will fall and the whole world will burn with the fires of industry and it will be ruled with machines and robots and the metal minds of mankind, banishing nature to the very fringes of existence.

Years later, if I were to walk through the forests, what will I see?A burnt land? A black land covered with the shadow of pollution and the burning fires of mankind? Axes strewn on the ground, blackened ashes of the once beautiful forest blown away by cold winds. All the land is ruined; dead; choked. The land, cleansed of all greenery... grassless, bare, jagged and barren. The last living things surrendered to the overwhelming destructive forces ofmankind.No more crystal clear streams running through the forests, no more insects or animals or flowers to be seen. Mankind will dominate all and cast the world into darkness...neither the brown earth nor the green grass will be seen again. All is blackened and burnt...my heart will be grieved upon knowing that all that is beautiful and purifying is lost.

The arms of pollution are long. If mankind allows, the claws of pollution will cling on to nature and by then....not only will we destroy nature, we will destroy ourselves and destroy the very essence of life itself. So let the world be ever green and clean. Let not the claws of pollution scratch and scar what is meaningful and useful to us. Protect the Earth. Preserve nature.

Once there were greenfields,Kissed by the sun.
Once there were valleys where rivers used to run,
Once there were blue skies with white clouds high above,
Once they were part of an ever lasting love.
We were the lovers, who strolled, through greenfields.

Dinie : What a soothing song! Nature is beautiful. I have had the fortune to express it in an art work several years ago. It is called Greenfield valley.

It seems that the valley in my artwork is very similar to the greenfield valley in your song. What a coincidence! I didn't way back about donkey years ago. We should really cherish a place like this on Earth.

Vernon: Life can indeed be expressed in many forms. All different lifeforms can be incorporated into a single body.

Speaking of Earth, here's my artwork. It displays both the good & bad side of how Humans contribute to the Earth. Almost all the ideas I can think of is protrayed here. From love to recycling and from pollution to deforestation. It's like the "Yin & Yang" in Taoism.



Well, this is the good side of my work. Love is shown here. Insects & animals lyk fish, and plants, different variety of flowers. It all shows a happy & cheerful Earth.



Here's the bad side. As you can see, the environment is somewhat dead. Graves & ghosts shows a negative image. Fallen & burning trees are just signs of a sick Earth.

Maow : Rather creative to express both the beauty and destruction of nature
in one body.A pity that activities of mankind are devouring this
world and creating mass destruction of nature.

GreenFields are gone now, parched by the sun,
Gone, from the valleys where rivers used to run,
Gone with the cold wind that swept into my heart,
Gone with the lovers who let their dreams depart.
Where are the greenfields that we, used to roam.

Vernon: Surely it isn't that bad?
Maow: The claws of pollution have extended far and deforestations have taken place.
The destruction is outrageous!!

Deforestation. One of the greatest evils of mankind. Not only depriving ourselves the chance of interaction with nature, it deprives countless different species of animals of their homes and smoke generated from the flames destroy the very air around us. How many people actually note animals fleeing the woods when the woods are razed to the ground? How many people actually note the mourning and anger of the whispering trees amongst the great flame? How many people understand this terrible anguish when they fell trees? Will mankind never stop until they have razed every forest to the ground? When they begin to regret their actions? How many people, will then, be happy?

Vernon: Why are they destroying nature? Does it benefit them?
Maow: Once wide expanses of land, covered with a lush green forests and trickling
streams now turning to barren land overrun by city buildings.It benefits
them of course...those greedy for more land.

Half finished painting to show how cities have overrun the forests. Leaving nothing but dark empty trenches. The land will burn with the fires of industry indeed. Deforestation has occured..gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking and burning. Destroyers and ursurpers curse them!! Wait not to test the effects of destruction. It is irreversible.

Vernon: All the destruction is blamed on mankind??!
Dinie: No,the forces of nature also has played no small part in nature's destruction.

Not only us humans but there are other things, mother nature for example, can cause the destruction of trees or plants. Fate or destiny, we can't control these kinds of death. But what we can do is to prevent as many death as possible by human activities. An example of destruction that we can't control is shown here in this:



This is a portion of one of my artworks. This particular work is my favourite one yet. It portrays my life. A cross-cultural mix of East & West, expressing Ideas... We should learn to express ourselves. Don't hide under a thick shell. Go out there & shout with all your might. I believe! Yes I believe! Together, we can save the Earth!

Maow: In time to come, leaves and trees will be a rare sight, a distant dream, a picture
existing only in the minds of others.
I and Dinie have made numerous sketches of the plants commonly found around us, in the hopes of keeping beautiful scenic nature locked in our very minds.

Leaves and plants will soon be gone from this Earth. What more is there to be said? Plants and trees, grass and leaves are all part of this world. Nature will put up a fight against this monstrosity that is mankind- bulldozers of nature. Nature's bane. I would say STOP this outrageous destruction of nature and campaign for a change in the way mankind treats nature!

Remember the looks of various plants of the Earth. Capture them down on paintings, sketches, films and photographs. You might never see them again.

Interestin sketches my friend. I too made a sketch on a plant which I have. This plant in a pot is a sketch I did a year ago. & I still have this plant outside my house. U know, it makes me feel that growing this plant is a responsibility. It's as if I'm takin care of a pet. Plants as a pet? Hmm, what a thought. We all should practice this responsibility of growing plants.

Picture of a tree done half a year ago in a park, while on a mission to explore trees, to observe how the branches spread. Needless to say, sketching of trees do not only tell you about how they grow. It somehow makes you further connected to nature as you sit under a park bench, observing it closely. The tree seems to stare back. It has a message for us.

# posted by The Inflamed : 9:49 AM

Indeed, the tree does gives a message or two. I've drawn a sketch of a tree myself. This dead tree that I've sketched made me think. Trees live & die just like us Humans. Maybe both the Trees & Humans are alike. Maybe trees do have feelings & emotions just like we do. I'm very sure that this tree must have cried when it died. Whether dead or alive, trees do tell us things... Just give it a chance, take a look at it. What do you see? What is it telling u?

Vernon: We must ouselves be responsible for the cleanliness and beauty of the Earth.
Dinie: Yes!! It should be ever clean and free from the long arms of destruction.

Trees swaying in the wind, sweet smelling grass and clear blue sky. Everything is worth preserving. Why is nature regarded as so very unimportant? Those who care not at all about nature are those shortsighted and blind. They do not see the wonders of nature and perhaps think that nature is dead? Human beings are not the only living things on Earth. We would all do well to remember it....until the end.

Amidst the burnt and blackened land, a spot of light can be seen. A hole has parted amongst the dark clouds. The sun shines once more and hope returns to the land. The rains of healing falls upon the Earth and drives away the dark shadow. Up again trees and grasses shall spring. The flowers bloom once more, accompanied by vast never ending fields of the purest green. As I stand there, savoring the lovely scent of nature, the animals return like a storm out of nowhere. The woods, fields and gardens are filled once more. The greatest wonder of the Earth. No one will miss it until the end………………………

Special acknowledgement for the song: GreenFields by the Brothers Four (adapted from the cd Let's Folk) [ Frank Miller, Terry Gilkyson, Richard Dehr]

Keyholder= Dinie(Leader)
Udun= Maow Sheng
honeybfly(the remixes)= Vernon

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