Another elm fell
In the park
The buzz of chain saws
Mocked the fifty year
Growing cycle
Of the stately tree
I watched
As its expanse
Fell with a roar
To the ground
How many birds
Had called it home
Making nest
In its noble branches
I looked at the stub
Still anchored to the earth
Counting rings
50 bunched close together
Identifying the age
Nature’s carbon 14 test
Unlocking the mystery
Of when planted
Rough sections of wood
Stacked randomly
Just waiting
For the dump truck
To haul them away
There is a sadness
In the bareness
Of the side
Of the hill
Not the pride
When first planted
Just an old unwanted tree
Someone decided
Had no right to live
