From Dreamtime Heritage titled The Voice of Nature by A.& M.J Roberts.
Itβs a perceived myth about a Gum tree (Eucalyptus being the scientific name) that in southern Australia people use to gather around a gum tree to listen to the ancestor tree as it spoke to them daily, but with time people grew weary and began pursuing their own pleasures and needs, and for this reason the world was dying because no birds sang, tides were still, there was no wind and literally the world was dying away. The tribe soon realised the importance of the tree so they returned to the tree and longed for it to speak to them. The tree told them it was the last time it was going to speak to them and it was going to give them a sign. So the tree split open, a tongue of light came down its trunk and then it closed up again. Since that time the Aboriginals believe their ancestor speaks to them in every part of nature.
I want to offer a reflection on this belief being true. In these days when modern technology is taking over, it is easy to forget our natural world, the roots that hold us to the ground in the form of nature. This is a metaphorical piece of work that relates to our human nature, by forgetting or going against our nature not only harms us but the natural world too. The text, for children geographically told about this ancient belief/myth still holds moral value today. It was/is a learnt myth about the voice of nature playing a big part in our lives, and returning back to our original soul is what helps us reconnect with nature and is very important to preserve and conserve this in life.
The gum tree itself, has very unique characteristics and benefits. A chemical that is extracted from the leaves is used in Mehndi/Henna which is a carroty/red dye that cultures in Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam and Christianity use to paint patterns on hand and feet at special occasions around the world. Moreover, the Eucalyptus oil is used for our respiratory system such as sore throats, asthma, bronchitis, common cold, control of diabetes. It controls exhaustion – the list goes on. But what makes it so stunning and so rich is that it is part of nature and its widely used in all areas of life that we take for granted from medicine to painting even as diverse as a house freshener.
The text could be highlighting the importance of this one tree and how it can affect our health, animals health, nature as whole and knowing what an important and unique part of nature it truly is to feel its presence in every part of human life. The titles personification could signify the voice of Allah (swt) talking to his people through every part of nature β It is a well put piece of work with multiple layers of understanding for all ages.