Ode To A Tree

Oh promising one, so much you could be;
I do not know why you pick on me.
I’ve done nothing to you – n’er harmed your core,
Pray no, I’ve watered, tended, admired and more.
Recall the adornment for Christmas one year?
How proud you looked, both far and near!
And then the time we trimmed your boughs?
We were gentle, patient, and gave no “ow’s.”
You loved the attention; so tall you’ve grown!
But now? So troubling, new disdain you’ve shown.
We’ve carefully trusted you to shade the car.
Daily, above others, you’ve been given such power.
And yet, in your impetuousness, it’s not been enough.
No, persist you have, and less gentle than rough –
To create such chaos, and all for what?
Is that pipe of water deep underground,
Really worth the disruption around?
Is it going to make such a difference for you,
That our water, our sewer, our grass, to undo?
The sidewalk, now marked with all sorts of color
Painted, alerting the workers where to hover-
The diggers to know which root, and which pipe
Have now become entangled and ripe
For the shovels, the backhoes, the mud boots and trenches,
Not to mention the noises of hammers and wrenches,
And then there’s my dogs, who just can’t go quiet –
To relieve them of guard duty? No, they don’t buy it!
There’ll be endless barking and running, from window to door,
To alert us, protect us, and really, what for?
Because you, oh, you tree –
You’ve done us such damage
By burrowing down in the pipe on a rampage.
You’ll understand when I say, I’ve loved you, my tree,
But when choppers arrive, I’ll wave “Adieu” as you flee
In the back of the truck, stuck, with the muck all a’ gush,
But I’ll smile every time when with ease, our toilets we flush.

~~

A hurried update…3 hours later….

~Said Man A to Man B, “‘Tis a pretty tree,

Too bad she has to come down.”

Said Man B to Man A, “I’ll save the day,

Perhaps the tree can stay.”

“What,” I said, “Are you out of your head?”

“All that digging will surely upswell!”

Said Man B to Me, “I’m really that good!”

But only some time will tell!