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Image by Andesine
Species of the plant genus Lithops are the most well known members of the group of succulent plants commonly referred to as Living Stones. Native only to the deserts of South Africa. ?A BLESSED EARTH DAY?
These plants reminded me of a poem by DJ Opperman.
TE KLIP OM TE BOOM
Klip kan net klip,
sy teel is onderverdeel
tot stomme klippertjies
duinend rondmeel
Boom kan net boom,
word langer en ook swanger
tot singende boompies
voël om die voorsanger
Maar voorwaar:
voor boom kan boom
moet klip eers klip,
en klip teel swaar
– glo miljoene jaar
It’s dificult to translate but I found a improvisation of the Afrikaans poem by D.J. Opperman from Pierre’s Poetry:
TOO STONE TO TREE / TOO THICK TO TREE
Stones can only stone
in finest subdivision
of Occam’s granularity
blowing like the dunes
Trees can only tree
elongate and impregnate
to saplings singing
cock-a-doodle-do
But it is true
before trees can tree
stones must bone
– for million years
