My sister loves this poem, so I decided to share it with you. It is from my recently-published collection of poems--Quantum Bloom (http://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Bloom-Paula-Mary-Angelis/dp/1505211166). The poem was inspired by a photo I saw on Facebook of a tree stump crying (someone had drawn the tears on the stump). But it made a lasting impression on me, as well as making me sad. It got me to thinking how many trees are cut down for no reason at all, other than that a house owner wanted less shade and more sun, so the tree had to go. That happens a lot here in Oslo, unfortunately. Perhaps other places as well. The older I get, the more respect I have for the nature around us, and the more I appreciate trees, the birds that live in them, and the rest of nature. We take nature for granted, that it will always be there for us. But one day it may not be. And we will look back in regret that we did not take better care of our earth.
Quantum bloom
A lone tree stump
Pushing its way up
from the pavement
The sidewalk askew
A tree’s life ended
Because its desire
to spread its roots
Was not met with
understanding
But rather with a
need for control
Executed through
the mighty saw
A lone tree’s life
ended
In this universe
But perhaps the
same tree lives on
In another universe
A parallel one
Or even in multiple
worlds
Far less
controlling places
Where trees can
spread their roots
Where their desire
to bloom and grow
Is not met with the
inhabitants’ desires
To crimp and to control
Lone tree standing
Firm and tall
Against the
elements
Against the winds,
the storms,
Against man’s
non-understanding
Of what it takes to
grow a tree
Of what a tree
needs to call a place
Its home
Of what the birds need
in the way of home
When in search of
cover
In parallel
universes
Perhaps trees are
sovereign, supreme
Birds too
Perhaps man’s
punishment for meting out death
To trees and
likewise birds
Is to suffer the
understanding of what it means
To destroy life
While imprisoned in
a forever place of death
In multiple
universes
copyright 2014 Paula M. De Angelis
