TREE-LOVER’S DILEMMA
by Gwen Austin
Copyright 1998
I love trees--
their sighs as breezes
sough through branches;
their creaks and groans--
even C-R-R-R-A-C-K s
when shrouded
by too much ice or snow. 
I love how they provide homes
for critters galore--
birds,
squirrels,
butterfly larvae.
I love the scent
of fir, pine, cedar, hemlock.
As my fingers touch their bark,
I marvel at each species’ uniqueness.
I shelter in their shade
on a hot summer day.
I glory in the artistry
of their leafless form
silhouetted against
winter-pale sunlit sky.
I welcome comforting green
of conifers
when all else huddles in
winter-drab.
Through the years
in our woods,
I watch spindly seedlings
become thin trees.
Year by year,
they add girth and height.
Some succumb to nature’s forces.
Some’s growth becomes static
from over-crowding or disease.
What does a tree-lover do,
when selected trees
must go
for the sake of the forest?
I become a part
of the selective process.
I carefully study each tree.
Is its top good,
with well-formed branches?
As compared to its neighbors,
is it the best?
Is its trunk straight and true?
Are there scars and damaged bark,
inviting harmful insects?
At its feet,
are struggling seedlings and saplings
stretching for more sunlight?
What is its approximate age?
Is it at or near its prime
and optimum growth?
What does a tree lover do
when its time for cutting?
I inwardly groan
while each selected tree
is felled,
limbed,
truck-loaded
and hauled off
for lumber or chips.
But, I know
that by cutting some trees,
a more healthy forest
is promoted.
I become a forest-lover.
Photo by Gwen Austin
