THROWING A TREE

The two executioners stalk along over the knolls, 

Bearing two axes with heavy heads shining and wide, 

And a long limp two-handled saw toothed for cutting great boles, 

And so they approach the proud tree that bears the death-mark on its side.

Jackets doffed they swing axes and chop away just above ground, 

And the chips fly about and lie white on the moss and fallen leaves; 

Till a broad deep gash in the bark is hewn all the way round, 

And one of them tries to hook upward a rope, which at last he achieves.

The saw then begins, till the top of the tall giant shivers: 

The shivers are seen to grow greater with each cut than before: 

They edge out the saw, tug the rope; but the tree only quivers, 

And kneeling and sawing again, they step back to try pulling once more.

Then, lastly, the living mast sways, further sways: with a shout 

Job and Ike rush aside. Readied the end of its long staying powers 

The tree crashes downward: it shakes all its neighbours throughout, 

And two hundred years' steady growth has been ended in less than two hours.

-o0o-