Page 21 - Arrow Publications Pvt. Ltd.

On Killing A Tree (Poem)

Warm Up

● Is it right to cut down trees? Why / Why not?

ReCITATION

It takes much time to kill a tree,
Not a simple jab of the knife
Will do it. It has grown
Slowly consuming the earth.
Rising out of it, feeding
Upon its crust, absorbing
Years of sunlight, air, water
And out of its leprous hide
Sprouting leaves.

So hack and chop
But this alone won’t do it.
The bleeding bark will heal
And from close to the ground
Will rise curled green twigs,
Miniature bough
Which if unchecked will expand again
To former size.
No, the root is to be pulled out.
Out of the anchoring earth;
It is to be roped, tied,
And pulled out-snapped out
Or pulled out entirely,
Out from the earth-cave,
And the strength of the tree exposed
The source, white and wet,
The most sensitive, hidden
For years inside the earth.
Then the matter
Of scorching and choking
In sun and air,
Browning, hardening
Twisting, withering
And then it is done.
– Gieve Patel
Arrow - English Plus-7 20