I was living in a small village
I had friends, home and children
We had sheep and cattle everywhere
Soil was rich and land was good

We had little population
Soil was rich and life was good
But soon population increased
We needed food and cultivation

And we came, and we slashed,
And we burned, we destroyed,
Ash everywhere…
We put seeds, we needed
Food for our children
Intensive farming…

We had food and so had our children
Intensive farming but life was good
After several years of cultivation
We let the soil replenish itself

But my children had grown and they had
Become parents
We needed more food and we couldn’t
Let time for nature to recover

And we came, we didn’t
Let time to nature to re-
plenish itself…
And the soil became poor
And the harvest was bad and still
It became worse…

Some people fled to greener places
They slashed, they burned, and ruined the soil
And as I stayed, I saw my land
Becoming dry, and I cried

As I saw dry rivers and streams
And as my throat was becoming dry
I knew in my heart that drought would come
And life became a nightmare

And drought came, swift and hard
And water disappeared
Cracks everywhere…
Minerals from evapo-
rated water formed
A salty crust

There was no more vegetation
Eroded land was everywhere
I was hungry and my throat was dry
I was alone…

I dug a huge hole in the ground
To store water
I made a pit full of organic matter
And in I put the few seeds I had left

And it grew, and it pierced
The eroded land
I had one tree…
I ate its juicy fruits
And I decided to start
Digging new pits…