I have received a book from my friend Carlos Molina, chairman of Fundación Universitaria Luis Amigó Regional palmira, about coca leaves and cocaine. This book, written by Jorge Hurtado Gumucio, a doctor in Psychiatry, has a native poem luminous and wise I going to present it to you, titled " THE LEGEND OF COCA " :


THE LEGEND OF COCA

Men of wisdom, who look beyond
the rest of their people,
when hard wintery times arrive,
are chosen by God like good ripe seeds
to sow in them and through them in men,
the food for the new era to be lived.

Food for the body and the soul,
for soul feeds
on the knowledge of conscience.

And so it was that
when the conqueror from the North
sheathed in his iron reiment
came to vanquish an essence,
a people born in the Andes,
in the mountains,
natural temples of God,
in a blood-colored sunset
the chosen one among the priest
heard HIS internal voice
and HE spoke like this :

" I love my son, your people
because they obeyed my command
and remained pure.

Because of these, I gave them much wisdom
but now the rest of my flock
who lives beyond your world
has arrive.

Not only in the flesh
but also in the spirit
that is why your brothers are fighting
among themselves.

The gold seekers are already here
to oppress the heart
and pierce the flesh
with their iron thorns.

But you must not forget that pain
is the receptacle of happiness,
she permeates the heart
through the way opened by the pain.

The times you must live through are such
you shall burrow your way
through the heart of earth
like the worm does
to take out the gold and the silver.

( Gods of mud, men have built ).

But at the end of your quest
you will find darkness
and you will be lost in it
and this will make you yearn for
the light that was left behind.

And so
the more you fall
the more you will long
to climb up again
and you will
reach me once again.

The purity of your heart has moved me
and so, to fight the darkness
wich lies at the boson of Mother earth,
to withstand cold,
the hunger and sadness of heart
torn apart from their father, I shall give you a gift for your brothers.

Climb up to the mountain
where you shall find a small plant
one with much strengh.

Guard the leaves with much love
and when you feel the sting of pain
in your heart, hunger in your body
and darness in your mind
take them to your mouth
and softly, draw up its spirit
which is part of mine.

You will find love for your pain
food for your body
and light for your mind.

Further more
watch the leaves dance with the wind
and you will find answers to your queries.

But if your torturer, who came from the North,
the white conqueror, the gold seeker
should touch it, he will find in it
only poison for his body
and madness for his mind
for his heart is so callous
as his steel and iron garment.

And when COCA,
which is how you will call it,
attempts to soften his feelings
it will only shatter him
as the icy crystals born in the clouds
crack the rocks
and demolish mountains.