Over
the years trees have sprouted and grown along the canal across the street.
As
their branches grew they became homes for birds in the summer.
Squirrels
scrambled among the leaves and sometimes small dramas played out as we watched from our front porch.
Most
of the trees along the canal are box-elders; quick growing scruffy trees which
spread lots and lots of seeds in the winter winds…like Truffula seeds.
But
trees stand in the way of construction, so the other day a guy with a grin
brought his yellow wood chipper. (A wood chipper with the same name as a great Dutch master painter seems so wrong.)
His
companion had a super-ax-hacker which roared into life at the tug of a string.
With
a growl and snarl he sawed and he whacked.
The machine worked four times as fast
as an ax.
The
guy with the grin took down a whole trunk.
It creaked and it groaned and then fell with a thunk.
They
dragged off the limb to their chipper machine.
The
branches went in with a wail and a scream.
More
sawing, more sawdust more crashing of limbs.
It sounded so bad and it looked mighty grim.
They
blocked up the logs as fast as they could.
And
chucked all the chunks in the wagon for wood.
So
DH went out to “bring in the mail.”
The
guy with the grin explained in detail.
The street was too narrow, the trees in the way.
They all had to go and without delay.
They will bigger the buildings and bigger the
road
and bigger a bridge to carry the loads.
They
came back the next day in the sleet and the snow.
The trees would come down. The trees had to go.
They
got a new tool to trim branches quick.
Wonder of wonders, a saw on a stick.
The
super-ax growled the super ax hacked.
The last of the trees went down with a smack.
No
more trees. No more shrubs. No more work
to be done.
So the guys with the saws
said, “Goodbye everyone.”
They gathered their tools and jumped in their
trucks.
I was thinking bad words. Out loud I said, “Yuck!”
(Thanks to Dr. Seuss and the Lorax for inspiration)
(Thanks to Dr. Seuss and the Lorax for inspiration)
