Ode to a Tree

How old it is, I do not know
when from an acorn grew this tree
Already of respectable size were you
when the house came to be.

Ninety-two years of shade you gave,
of comfortable cool inside.
Extreme heat, frigid cold, fierce rain,
you weathered them all with pride.

Acorns you dropped aplenty
In a vain attempt to propagate
Around you a garden grew
And feet trotted

There is no justification
But for you, my majestic oak, none is needed
You know
You have seen
You understand
And you accept
Your time has come
as come it must.
You have seen much of man's folly
watched the futile struggles
of man versus man
man versus self
man versus society
and man versus nature
Humbly, silently, you stood by
watching, shading, accepting

But how does it feel to know
when your end will come?
Would you rather, like your brother one street over,
end suddenly
during a strong
taking down a car?
Man 0 Nature 1
Do you feel like exacting some revenge
in your last days?
A storm passed a few days past
You had the chance
And yet
Though you could take down
both co-conspirators
You do not.
For that is how I feel.
What right do I have?
I must protect my family
And love my neighbors
But why is my parcel of natural
and unnatural materials,
already having taken life from others
The spoils of nature
Long ago committed
(treeicide, if you will),
worth more than your life?

Our home will no longer be complete
Adrift without our anchor
Thank you
and good bye