THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem

Rob Ayling, yer Gonzo Grande Fromage, writes:

"Thom the World poet is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Thom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth and Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied within seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not?

WE HAVE REPLACED HERITAGE TREES WITH "MEMORY"TREES

TO REMIND US OF WHEN WE COULD TOUCH THEM

Artificial aromas and faux scents filter the ozone air

near the car park near the National Monument to Trees.

These include trees fallen,those lost in Californian and Bastrop fires

and all the trees in rainforests chopped for mining ,palm oil plantations or tourist attractions.

Disney Forest has opened in Shanghai ,Paris and London

with special attractions to recall Nottingham Forest

as well as the Great Forests of France.Of course,Disney Forest

has GREAT rest rooms,and admission prices are monitored like toll roads.

Now that the latest replicas have been launched,no one can tell the difference

as all the New Forests are exported ,stamped MADE IN CHINA.

The 'Greeting Pine' is damaged by human sweat

The Greeting Pine, also known as the Yingkesong, Ying Ke Pine, Welcoming-Guests Pine, or Welcome Pine.   (Getty Images / aphotostory)

(Newser) – Tourists really love China's most famous tree, and that could be a problem. The "Greeting Pine" stands on a mountain overlooking the valleys of Huangshan and is believed to be a millennium old. It has its own guardian: He's the 19th one and is tasked with checking on the tree every two hours around the clock. Hu Xiaochun tells NBC News that in addition to protecting the distinctive evergreen from squirrels and monkeys, he has to protect it from tourists, most of whom stop in front of it for a photo. "Human sweat damages the bark, and we are trying to ensure that it keeps growing naturally," he says.

"The Chinese now have disposable income to allow them to travel for pleasure, and these sites are becoming inundated with commercial enterprises and the tourists who use them. As a result some sites are being 'loved to death,'" says one expert. More than 3.3 million people visited Huangshan in 2016, with most of them stopping at the Greeting Pine, so named because of two large branches that appear to be welcoming guests with open arms, the Sixth Tone reports. NBC News describes tourists as pushing against the fence surrounding the tree in an attempt to get closer. The concern over the tree's health comes as China increasingly focuses on environmental issues, a big change from its previous "growth-at-all-costs" approach to economics and the environment.

TH 16 August=THIRSTY THURSDAY 7-9pm@Dripping Springs Town Hall-Host=NANCY FIERSTIEN

FRi 17 August-THOM @Cherrywood Coffeehouse 7-10pm(Metaphorically Challenged)

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