Friday, September 23, 2011

Cutting Eucalyptus Trees

















The order was given
a road crew arrived
the screams from chain saws
broke the early morning quiet
and in a few hours, decades
of nature’s work lay in pieces
on the public street.

No protesters gathered with signs
but a few old timers came to watch
remembering their days in the thirties
when the eucalyptus trees stood
like sentinels between the road
and the acres of bean fields.

One hundred and four trees destroyed
no blood on the street but the smell
of eucalyptus oil permeated the air
the shadow and shade gone forever
because one of the trees fell

and took the life of an innocent driver.
The arborists said more could be ill
or maybe an earthquake deep underground.
Then without any public discussion
the trees came down one by one
tossed into the wood chipper,

a mechanical monster
from city maintenance,
chomped branches
until late afternoon.

Bow you heads…
take a moment to reflect
for life destroyed so needlessly
eucalyptus trees, soldiers at war,
and a random driver on a city street.

No comments:

Post a Comment