Emerald Spring

 

Emerald Spring

Such welcomed sounds sing of spring,

returning geese in the air,

skies are lush with hurried sounds,

but on ground there’s despair.

Our forest Ash has succumbed,

to a foreign emerald bug,

trees culled by city workers,

with an un-concerning shrug.

The shock so devastating,

for our forest is now gone,

victim of container ships,

from China and Hong Kong.

I see the grieving creatures,

in the forest where I go,

the squirrels and birds and rabbits,

who grieve in melting snow.

When and where will it all end,

these uncaring kinds of things,

trade by uncaring business,

with destruction that they bring.

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The Activist Poet

About this Poem: I truly love nature but abhor what consumer growth economics has done to our environment. We need to do more to save our forests, trees and wildlife. We need to stop being consumers of trinkets while also ending our pre-occupation with disposable things.

In August 2020, I wrote about the trade with China and the devastation it has wrecked on the North American environment. The “Emerald Ash Borer” being one of those Asian infestations and forest destroyers.

In the spring of 2021, our city began cutting all the infected Ash Trees down and I have to say it was really devastating and depressing to see, especially the holes that they left in our community. I’m also concerned about the displaced animals and birds that made the trees their home. The destruction of our Ash trees and forests is a direct result of allowing trade with countries that have no concern for the environment like China. The huge amount of trade being conducted with China needs to end.