They Will Return

Arrival of derecho

Hurricane on shore

Knocked down trees

Straight from the roots

Great lumber littered all over

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Unforeseen act of deforestation

Chalk it up to wrath of the wind.

Someday, the maples, the sycamores—

They will return.

Buzzsaw roars and tears

Raw sawdust from toppled

Trees hacked to smaller pieces

Giving rise to a grove of stumps

Natural covering from sun’s heat is missing

Strong branches, emerald leaves

Sixty-five percent

Removed from reality.

Someday, the black oaks, the lindens—

They will return.

With some manpower,

Work gloves, shovels,

The right saplings

For replanting,

Fructuous ground

For a solid base,

Summer rains and Autumn showers

Assisting in the gradual growth, then

Someday, the birches, the walnut trees—

They will return.

Someday, the forest—

It will return

Cool shade

To a deprived, sweltering city.

By Dee Allen.

From: United States

Website: https://conviction2change.com