The Damned Tree

Wind is whistling.

Clouds are thickening.

My roots are dug up from the ground.

Dad is still screaming really loud.

 

"I used to sit under that tree,"

I say, chewing on soggy Coco Puffs.

"It's still coming down," Dad says.

I stare at the leaves as they fall from the tree in tufts.

 

The next morning, Dad's got his chainsaw

and I'm staring numbly as he chops the tree down

my nose is pressed up against the window

as the tree falls to the ground.

 

three years later, a tornado blows our house to shreds

there is absolutely nothing left

but sometime in the next century

that tree will regrow.

 

And someone will chop it down again.

and the universe will get its way.

By hurting them

in some way.

 

So this just goes to say,

don't chop your internal tree

or rest, rest, rest

in peace.

 

~A.R.

Author's Note

I know this means something to you. This poem just has that ability to mean something to everyone. It's rhyme scheme is crazy, and it's weird, but deep inside... you know it means something to you, doesn't it?

The tree symbolizes your youth. Don't ever let your childish side die. Never, ever chop your tree down.

Reviews

[The Analog Kid]

That's for sure. Nature will renew, but you can't get back your youth. Nice job!

[Adam Lebzo -RonninWarri..]

i like the idea and theme! you have a quite a artistic mind
great nickname btw :)

[Admiral Kirk]

Reminds me of when my favorite old tree was falling down, and my mom took to it with a chainsaw, so I climbed up high in the branches and didn't come down until she promised to leave my tree alone... I guess we all have some old tree inside, don't we? This poem is incredibly symbolic... Great work. :)

[Serenity Faith]

I think you're very right when saying this has meaning to everyone in some way. For me all to recently, about three weeks ago, the tree my Papaw had built me a swingset in was chopped down, with the swing stilll hanging from the branches by the electric company. It tore me to pieces. It had taken him a while to fix it for me as he was in a wheelchair and couldnt climb it to hang the swing. I felt like so many of my childhood memories were just chopped down, just like that. This piece was wonderful, and I thought it flowed perfectly as well.