In the neighborhood where we raised our children, there was a beautiful weeping willow in the front yard next door. Our children loved to have picnic lunches beneath its low bowing branches. Other times, all the children in the area gathered and played tag, running in and out of the green lacey-leafed cascading curtains, sometimes tripping on the roots that made the ground lumpy beneath its shade. Laughter abounded around the tree.
The only day it earned its name was the day the arborists came. They sawed it into pieces. Drilled out its heart-stump, and carted it all away. My children watched the scene in horror and cried their hurt that night as we sat at the dinner table. Mother nature wept her disappointment in a summer evening storm. Strands of weeping branches littered our street, until the street cleaner arrived early one morning and swept all evidence away.
birds sing sweet sorrow
weeping willow cracks in grief
earth disrobed by man
Thursday is Open Link Night at dVerse, the virtual pub for poets. Gail is hosting and asks us to come imbibe some words and post one poem of our choice – no prompt given. We’re a friendly bunch. Come enjoy!
lillian the home poet 
OH! I connect with your kids in this strong bit of writing, Lillian. You really abuse our hearts here – (that’s a good thing, as a poet). 🙂 Willow Weep For Me
My favorite willow memory is placing the leaves between my thumbs and ‘SQWEEEEE!’
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So glad you enjoyed this one. Our neighbor said the roots were clogging his sewer and thus the tree was eliminated. Very very sad.
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Yep – they are usually best planted near water or in a wet place because they are water-seekers.
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A truly heartbreaking memory. Yes, willow weep.
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The yard looked absolutely naked for a long long time. People driving by, not aware it was being cut down, did a double-take wondering if their eyes were deceiving them with that empty yard 😦
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I wept with the neighborhood children. Any tree cut down is such a loss!
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Amen!
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How sad and I just one hollowed tree near my park too ~ It was a big tree but touching some power lines so they came and sawed it away ~ Such a sweet sorrow it is Lillian ~
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We were told the willow’s roots were clogging their sewer 😦
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I remember a tree that my dad cut down in the front yard of the farmhouse. He was afraid it would attract lightning and its needle like leaves were hard to walk on barefoot. We children didn’t want to see it go, but thinking back now as an adult he probably made the right choice.
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Hard decisions….as children, we simply miss what was and care not why.
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What a shame! Any greenery worth keeping must be retained at whatever cost!
Hank
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Sadly, its roots were clogging their sewers and they’d paid to have them unclogged one too many times. Still, very very sad to see that naked yard.
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Disrobed by man.. That’s a great choice of words. Wonder if the ‘criminal’ will ever face ‘justice’..
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Ah….my guess is the arborist would much rather plant and prune that disrobe …
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But why, why did it have to die? I grieve deeply at the loss of any tree just thinking of the time it has taken to grow and the gift it gives in living.
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The neighbor said its roots were clogging their sewer and they’d paid roto-rooter folks once too often. It was still very very sad. The children only missed what was and cared not why.
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Very sad. Not a good enough reason.
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I love the title, Lillian, and I always enjoy reading about your life and your family. And you know I love willows! But I’m annoyed at those tree murderers! I always keep a watchful eye on tree surgeons. Our two rowan trees were murdered with weed killer by a man who came to gravel over the parking area in front of our cottage and I’ve never forgiven him.The haiku says it all.
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So glad you enjoyed, Kim. We had a similar thing happen (RE your rowan trees). We had a beautiful raspberry patch I’d nursed to fruition (pun intended) and our new neighbors decided to hire someone to chemically treat their lawn….you can guess what happened 😦
Sadly, the willow’s roots were clogging our neighbor’s sewers….but oh how we missed that tree!
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So sad for your children to witness this and I hope they will all plant willows in their gardens one day and let their children picnic and play beneath her branches ☺💜 xxx
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Willows are, I believe, nature’s tents for children! 🙂
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It must have been heart-breaking to bear witness to such a scene 😦
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Very sad. And sadder still to wake up the next morning and look out our kitchen window as we had breakfast, and see that naked yard.
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Ooooh! Great. Excellent prose and perfect haiku.
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Glad you enjoyed!
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As a tree-lover, this one got to me. Awful to even imagine.
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It was particularly sad for a good number of mornings after that day….our kitchen was in the front of our house, upstairs in a split level, so while eating breakfast we looked out on that naked yard 😦
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Another Beautiful Tragedy of Cycles Of Life And Living. 🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀
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Glad you enjoyed!
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Oh, how sad! I too grieve the loss of trees. I felt the pain of the humans and heard the weeping of the tree.
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Oh, how sad. What a loss.
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