Tree Sounds

I woke up to the sound of a tree screaming
men had arrived in a truck
with shrieking saws and axes that bite
there was a roaring monster behind the truck
the men felled the tree and
removed its branches one by one
they fed each branch and twig
to the monster
it nibbled up everything
even each tiny new spring leaf
till all that was left were neat logs
scattered like ancient vertebra on the lawn
the sinister monster thing followed
the truck full of dust – away
I saw the stump with its perfectly symmetric age rings
and wondered why I still heard screaming
until I realized it was mine.

Judith A, Sears
05/11/2018