On Killing A Tree

-by Gieve Patel

It takes much time to kill a tree,

Not a simple jab of the knife
Will do it. It has grown
Slowly consuming the earth,
Rising out of it, feeding
Upon its crust, absorbing
Years of sunlight, air, water,
And out of its leprous hide
Sprouting leaves.

A simple cut does not destroy a tree. A tree grows gradually, it is rooted in the soil. A plant takes
nutrition from the soil to grow into a big tree. The tree is firmly bound with the soil. It takes in
sunlight, water and air to grow into a strong trunk and have numerous leaves.

So hack and chop

But this alone won't do it.
Not so much pain will do it.
The bleeding bark will heal
And from close to the ground
Will rise curled green twigs,
Miniature boughs
Which if unchecked will expand again
To former size.

Humans cut and chop the bark of trees into many pieces but that is not sufficient to destroy the
tree. The point of the tree which gets cut gives out sap just like a human being bleeds.
Gradually, this would heals and from there new branches start growing again.

No,
The root is to be pulled out —
○ Out of the anchoring earth;
It is to be roped, tied,
And pulled out — snapped out
Or pulled out entirely,
Out from the earth-cave,
And the strength of the tree exposed
The source, white and wet,
The most sensitive, hidden
For years inside the earth.
On Killing A Tree
-by Gieve Patel
The poet says that in order to kill the tree, it has to be uprooted. One has to separate the tree
from the Earth which supports it. The roots of the tree bind the tree with the soil in the pit of the
Earth. From there, the most sensitive and hidden part of the tree - the roots have to be
detached. The roots are white in colour and are damp.

Then the matter

Of scorching and choking
In sun and air,
Browning, hardening,
Twisting, withering,
And then it is done.

Once the tree has been uprooted, then gradually it withers and dries up with the action of heat
and wind. The trunk will become brown, twist and will harden. Finally, the tree will die this way.