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Autumn Leaves
volume 7 number 6
Autumn Leaves volume 7 number 6 |
From dawn until dusk, they plow and tilt the earth
the
way their ancestors did. The dark, wrinkled skin on
their faces tells a
thousand stories. Seedling by seedling,
life takes shape under the hot
tropical sun.
Autumn comes and the lush green turns to golden
and the
farmers are rewarded with the harvest.
Harvest songs and jokes make the
backbreaking days short.
Grain by precious grain, they gather the
gemstones.
Then they polish the gemstones with muscle and sweat
into
pearly white, to become fine and precious like exotic
pearls from deep ocean
or rare stones from deep earth.
Each grain has its own story and carries
ancestral tales
of sweat, blood, and tears to pass on to the next
generation.
Aches and pains of Southeast Asia's past and present are on
their
shoulders and they proudly accept the ancient call to be the
masters
and to grow this precious commodity. They are the future and
will
continue the tradition, continue to tell their ancient
story—
their way of life, continue to tell the story of the flood and
dry seasons,
of starvation and abundance, of how their livelihood
depends
on this grain, and of how much this prized grain means to
them.
This grain represents humanity; its presence is life.
Its
sustenance sustains life and its abundance prolongs life.
