16/30 BAMBOO

("Big big bamboo bamboo..." old calypso)

In China

alone, over

three hundred

species of

bamboo

grace sky,

like skyscraper,

wave in wind.

Big bamboo,

small bamboo,

long bamboo,

strong bamboo,

tamboo bamboo

bamboo 'ood,

good 'ood.

Build scaffolding,

build roof,

build ceiling,

build wall,

build furniture,

build utensil.

First razor,

first flute,

first pan,

first paper,

fishing rod,

flying swordsman.

Flexing joint,

strong stem

tough root,

tender shoot,

panda food,

people food.

Bamboo flowers,
fertility food,
gregarious,
once per
hundred years.

Bamboo fence,

root keep river,

road and hillside

from eroding,

soil slipping,

and sliding down.

Bamboo cathedral,

baboon crossing,

Baptist pole,
Orisha pole,

jhandi pole,
flag wave
in wind.

Deya stand,

bhodi stand,

barbadeen and

caraile machand.

Fuel to fire

long-time dirt oven

and chula.

In Trinidad,

take lot of fire,

lot of tyre-

burning ire

to kill

a bamboo stool

or get anything done.

©2013 by G Newton V Chance