The Last Tree - A Short Essay

 

The developers who bought the acreage opposite us and razed the grassland and all of the beautiful tall trees - but one - to build an ugly, noisy, congested subdivision finally hired someone to cut down the last tall tree. I heard the awful growling of the chain saws and glanced up to see that the tree had been felled. It broke my heart.

You'd think I would have become numb to it by now. But it always tears me apart to see Nature so cruelly destroyed. I used to love to sit on my sofa and just stare at that tree through the window. It was so perfectly tall and majestic. Now there's a sad, empty space in the sky where the tree once waved gently in the wind.

I'm so glad we have left most of our two and a half acres wild and untouched. We've made a haven for the birds, the squirrels, the chipmunks, the rabbits, the ground hogs, the raccoons, the opossums, the wild turkeys, the deer and even a few skunks. Plus whatever stray cats and dogs come our way know they can find food here.

I'm also glad we bought the neighbor's almost two acres so our grown kids can live in the house there and we have more woods to shelter the misfit critters looking for sanctuary.

I will miss that tall tree. But at least I have some comfort in knowing our own tall trees are safe from harm.