Beetle Verses Elm
By skinner_jennifer
- 1647 reads
Late 70s flourish of
trees once majestic,
stolen by affliction –
disease snatched life,
trunks lay shipwrecked,
earth shuddered a while
where once labyrinth of
roots crawled so slowly.
Never saw that coming
before it was too late,
let third eye guide me
not to be too analytic,
those parasites snatched
life from out the ground,
they came with chainsaws
you were chopped down,
each limb severed by
mighty hands, all we
saw were rooftops where
once your spirit reigned.
The ghosts are long forgotten
but I remember times gone, in
photographs I wonder if your
memory with others lingers on.
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Comments
I've been puzzled, and very
I've been puzzled, and very pleased in recent years by seeing the distinctive fruit of the elm on trees. I think it may be that the roots are not killed and can grow again, especially in hedge situations, but can't grow so big as they used to or they'll tend to get the disease again. I don't know if that is correct, but the seeds with their beautfiult light green circular thin leaf-aeroplane around them are so lovely to see, and one of those things I do recognise! Rhiannon
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dutch elm is blight on our
dutch elm is blight on our sight, but for the trees it's green as they scream.
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"labyrinth of roots crawled
"labyrinth of roots crawled so slowly" is a great image. Also "all we saw were rooftops where once your spirit reigned" bring to mind the magic of the trees.
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