Our Motherland, habitat for flora and fauna by Megan Fiu Ra’vu

Honorable mention World Environment Day Poetry

My name is Megan Fiu Ra’vu. I am mix parentage of Central and Milne Bay. I always loved writing poems since I was a kid however as I grew older and with the introduction of new technology, I totally lost interest in reading and mainly writing poems and stories. A few weeks ago, I started following pages on Facebook that encourage kids to write so I decided, why not? Last month I joined a mothers day poem contest by UNICEF and was one of the six winners for the mothers day poem contest and then I saw another poem contest on Ples Singsing’s page about world environment day so I decided to write and poem and send it in. My poem title is Our Motherland, Habit for flora and fauna. It basically talks about how our environment was before, greener, cleaner with a verdant Virgin and then after mining and logging companies came, they caused nothing but destruction to the environment.

Our Motherland, habitat for flora and fauna

You were arable, unused and unoccupied.
Even much greener and cleaner with a verdant virgin.
The trees were young, glorious, woody and bristling with
potential.
The habitat of myriad insects, unimaginably predatory,
dangerous yet looked so beautiful.
Gorgeously cool, always clear, natural and unlimited fresh
waters flowing from the forest down to the ocean.
You are our motherland and a habit for the flora and fauna.

Then here comes logging and mining companies.
Why have we let them to set foot on you?
We were blinded by money and let foreigners use you like a
stamping ground.
They are destroying you with their big bulldozers and dangerous
chemical deposits.
Money is given with a bonus of deforestation, desertification,
soil erosion and damage to the environment.
You are crying out but no one listens to you.
Your tears flow each day like the unlimited water flow from
rivers and creeks.
They are destroying nestling, feeding and breeding sites for the
wildlife habitat.
You just cry silently without saying a word because you can’t
speak.
Oh motherland, we are destroying you and the habitat for the
flora and fauna.

Now we realize what we have done to you, but it is too late.
You are damaged, and looking like a dessert.
No trees around you, polluted rivers and damaged environment.
Even the animals flee in search of a new home.
After using you, the loggers and miners leave. And you are
abandoned.
It takes years and years for you to regain what you have lost.
Just like a mother who have lost everything in a catastrophe.
Oh motherland, we have destroyed you and the habit for the flora and fauna.

Megan iet ibin tanim Tok Pisin

Mama Graun bilong mipela na ol plent na animal lo bus

Yu stap gut, nogut man meri usim yu.
Yu luk nais, kala bilong yu I grin na klin na stap
Ol liklik Diwai woklo gro go bikpela.
Ol binatang na insek lo bus luk poret na nais.
Naispela wara flou lo mauntan kam go daun lo nambis.
Yu em mama graun blong mipela na ol plent and animol lo bus.

Bihain ol logging na mining kampani kam.
Mipela kisim ol kam na ol I bagarapim graun.
Ol I kisim ol bikpela buldoza na kemikol na bagarapim graun.
Ol passim ai blong mipela wantaim moni na bagarapim graun.
Yu krai bat mipela no harem krai bilong yu.
Ai wara bilong Yu I kapsait osem wara long mountain kam I go
daun long nambis.
Ol bagarapim bus na peles bilong ol plent na animol.
Yu krai isi isi bat mipela no harem yu.
Yu em mama graun blong mipela na ol plent na animol lo bus.

Nau mipela luksawe long ron mipela bin mekim bat em i leit
pinis.
Ol I bagarapim yu pinis mama graun.
Nogat Diwai stap, ol wara I bin bagarap na Olgeta animol I bin
ronawei lo panim narapela hap lo stap.
Ol mainin na login kampani igo na lusim bagarap graun.
Em kisim longpela taim lo ol Diwai ba grou ken.
Yu em mama graun bilong mipela na ol plent na animol lo bus.