Poems for the Forest

THE SWINDON TREE By Marilyn Beale
- with apologies to Rudyard Kipling

There is trouble enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day
And when we are certain of upset in store
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and sisters, I bid you beware
Of planting a tree in Swindon - anywhere.

Plant a tree and your effort will buy
Investment in the future - and that's no lie
Proper commitment and an active stand
By a foot on the spade or a trowel in the hand
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your effort on a Swindon tree - anywhere.

When the fourteen years which nature will assume
For the tree to grow, to fruit or to bloom.
It seems then the developers ideas suddenly comes
Well, we could talk lethal sprays or bulldozer runs
Then you will find - it's your own affair
But... you've put your effort in a Swindon tree - somewhere.

When the tree that grew at your single dig.
With it's blossom in Spring, is grown (How big!)
When the spirit that soothes your every mood
Could go - wherever it goes - for good
You will discover how much you care
And demand that developer your tree to spare.

We've sorrow enough in the natural way
When it comes to mourning Christian Clay
But our efforts been given, and we hope we know
That our children will see the woodland grow
It is always the case, I hope I am right
If children plant them, the more we should fight
For, when teaching children the value of nature
This developers example will be utter disaster
So why in - heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our children's trees to a developer to tear?

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