Maybe trees talk to each other at night

One of the lines from Gamalinda's poem Subterranean that I love is about the persona's suspicion that "trees talk to each other at night."

It reminds me of a Buddhist koan about trees falling in the forest.

It reminds me of the gorgeous rainforests I've seen in treks around the region, most especially the amazing grandfather trees in the

Kuala Belalong center in Brunei.

This is one of them--real solid showstopper.

It also reminds me about the sad state of forestry in nearby Malaysia

and Indonesia, that Brunei borders on Borneo island.

Like the Philippines, forestry is more booming

business than government policy for conservation.

Come to think of it, the great thing about being a kingdom that supports a nation with an oil economy is that it can afford to have wonderful reserves like this one in the middle of the lush tropical jungles. The developed country in ASEAN region.

During the treks I joined, I sometimes have a moment where my heart becomes so full it feels it's about to burst--with awe, spellbound and with weight, lamenting the loss in my own country. So in these times, I compare this to all the lush greenery to the savannah like views of say a trip to Baguio's winding mountain-sides. Dry red-brown earth dotting the roads waiting for the green to return.

Recently, the energy policy that will be the joint preoccupation of the ASEAN nations during their summit made the news. That in itself is a feat! Considering the diverse backgrounds (political, religious, etc.) and tensions between the 10 countries that comprise the Southeast Asian region.

Though, given the structure of ASEAN and its penchant for concensus of an entirely diverse body (i.e. the haze agreement), the only way this will work is implementation muscle baby! and the acknowledgement that energy, forests and climate issues are all interrelated.

The moment they realize the impact of sustainable economies beyond their borders, then push for more concerted effort like this great news will happen.

Now who's to say trees don't speak to the gods when all is still at sundown. Maybe they do.