Nature Destroyed

Once

You were God’s neighborhood

Hickory, Oak, Maple

making homes for robins, wrens

and their four-footed friends.

Once

you stood tall, proud

sometimes glistening green

with azure cloak;

other times blanketed in white

or wearing icy diamonds.

Now Gaia is ravaged, slain

her brave soldiers mercilessly attacked.

Giant trunks split open, fallen

sinew displayed

bearing Pain—

Yours and Ours.

Your life disintegrated—

broken arms

lifeless legs

fingers splintered, twisted in disarray,

a mud splayed maze of confusion, dregs, and dross.

Monster Caterpillar trucks

manned by insanity and greed—

unnecessary “need”

For what?

Bricks and mortar?

Smoothed driveways

for shiny cars spitting oil,

spewing smoke that blackens?

What once was green, white, silver

Stolen.

They’ll call their neat new neighborhood

Welling Woods.

Read more by Linda Miller.