Coconuts and coral

Coconuts and coral

Gently rolling up the beach..then rolling back again,
The wavelets pushed the coconut..to where it would remain.
A long and lonely journey..floating on the sea,
Until at last it came to rest..on its sandy home to be.

So time moved on..and gradually..the nut settled in its bed,
It put down roots and touched the sky..green fronds at its head.
In nine years the tree was ready..nuts formed around the crown,
And when the nuts were ripened..they started falling down.

And so the cycle starts again..some rooted where they fell,
Others rolled into the sea..floating off upon the swell.
Helped by ocean currents..the nuts travelled far and wide,
Finding different shorelines..on which they could reside.

Palm trees have many uses..supplying food and drink and oil,
Making hats and mats and bowls and bags..with very little toil.
Poles for early houses..woven green fronds for the thatch,
So much versatility..that other species couldn’t match.

Islands fringed by coral reefs..surf breaking on its edge,
Coral polyps building up..on its underwater ledge.
Within the reefs protective wall..in calm water clear and warm,
The temperature is perfect..to help new coral form.

So many billion years now..have marched into the past,
From when planet earth was first born..perhaps by cosmic blast.
Atmosphere and oceans..evolving slowly over time,
And coconuts and coral..took their turn in line.

Gradually the earth became..the world we know today,
Seven billion people..all at work or rest or play.
I wonder how the world would be..with no human intervention,
Just Mother Nature managing..with no ulterior intention.

©️martin Silvester 16/10/2019.