Hymn to our friends the TREES
Essences for a thousand uses
A summer afternoon under his crown softening the rays of the sun,
One feels well-being under the "tree of the centenarians", this tree of good advice,
Long renowned for "unwinding the aiguillette" by encouraging the strupe,
"Who can not speak to ash" predicted the saying, not fooled.
In the image of its branches flexuous and solid at the same time,
The maceration of its buds is recommended to soften the joints,
These limes, hardened and crisp, are preserved for several years, however,
Associated with the Meadowsweet they are effective against rheumatism, in potion.
This "quinquina of the poor" whose bark is used to dispel commonplace fevers,
Its leaves mixed with the elder berry limit the intestinal laziness,
As for the "frênette", this natural fermentation drink against the flagada,
Its secret lies in the harvesting of ash leaves during the exudate.
In the great plains of the west, the Indians of America,
Made the tube of the pipes with its wood easy to work,
While on the shores of the Mediterranean, in Calabria and fairytale Sicily,
The "manna of the ash" bleeding from the trunk, as a candle was used.
The beech easy to dig, turn, bend and split,
Generations of schoolchildren have learned to write and read
On the classroom desks of tender ages,
Some travelers having chosen to shelter its antler in the form of lyre.
The walkers stroll under the canopy of the tall cathedrals,
Intense rays of light, filtered through the leafy roof, lick the large barrels of the beech wood,
Living pillars sometimes shouting lugubrious guttural complaints
Or else serving as a refuge to the jays shouting their salutes with raucous and ruffled cries.
The sun falls on the forest path, the crowns rise,
The trunks rise towards the sky, the leaves slam in the wind,
Like victorious flags full of joy,
The cathedral beech forest thrills without thrills
The oak, resistant and durable, is the wood of timber framing that defies time,
And of the finest furniture, parquets, barrels and ships of yesteryear.
The birch is very light, easy to bend, it is used for veneers and toothpicks,
Excellent "baking wood", it emits an intense heat with a brilliant flow.
The maple is the wood of the "Argenterie des Bauges," the dishes of the poor,
Its fine grain, easy to polish, is appreciated for the manufacture of furnishings,
Its wavy wood gives the impression of being moiré, it is the favorite of the demanding luthiers,
Thanks to its permanent aesthetic and acoustic gifts.
The chestnut tree, it braves the weather by its frameworks of the roofs,
He is also the champion of the vine vines and stakes of pastures,
It is made of magnificent veined floors and solid castanets,
Thanks to its fruits, the "breadfruit tree", replaced the cereals in times of scarcity.
If Flaubert asserted that "the chestnut was the brown woman,
The truth is quite different, for the interior of the chestnut is cloisonné,
And if it is whole, it is a marron, enchanter of the palaces in its icy form,
Grilled or boiled, this "donkey cake" at the All Saints' supper, smells good.
The poplar, not very dense but very fibrous, is used for light packaging,
Oysters, trays, boxes and crates,
Well enclosed in its cheese box, camembert is well protected,
Thanks to its absence of tannin, its taste is not altered in the plate.
The willow, thanks to its long flexible stems, is ideal for basketry,
Hoods, baskets, cages, traps, cradles and baskets,
The balloonists use it for the realization of the nacelles of balloons,
Thanks to its high capacity to absorb shocks on the body.
The cherry tree by its warm tones pulling on the pinkish brown,
Is a noble essence for the realization of solid wood furniture,
Used also in plating it replaces mahogany very sought after,
Chosen for the manufacture of pipes it gives them an expressive perfume.
The maritime pine, or pine of the Landes, made it possible to clean up the marshy soils,
His gem flows like a thick tear over the wound of the unhappy trunk,
It takes care of the respiratory assignments thanks to turpentine,
In the crushing industry it produces opaline pulp.
The larch, rot-resistant it is the most durable of coniferous,
Used for the construction of mountain chalets with shingle roofing,
It serves in the railways for the manufacture of cross-ties without knots,
But also for the telephone poles and the masts of the boats.
The alder, he provided the piles of the lake cities,
Five centuries later, Venice has piles almost intact,
Thanks to its amazing color ranging from red to garnet pink,
It is appreciated for the manufacture of illustrious guitar bodies.
Laricio pine, proud and proud, emblematic of the beauty of the island's forests,
Its cylindrical pillars raise its top in the slender cathedral pinewood,
Its soft and curly needles shelter a small cone,
Regal squirrels when he falls on this native carpet.
L’ARIÉ….JOIE