A Eulogy for Ash

Although not my favorite tree, I have a soft spot for ash (Fraxinus). My parents had one planted in the back yard and each fall it turned the most beautiful copper and purple. It shaded the patio, but the only time I really noticed the tree was in autumn. My father used to take a pocket knife to the trunk and dig out huge fat larvae of our native borer. Ash trees, as you probably know, are threatened by the emerald ash borer. I've linked it so you can find more information than you probably want to know. It's a devastating pest and since we have once again over planted a single species (you'd think we would have learned with the whole Dutch Elm Disease fiasco), we will lose a significant portion of our urban canopy. There is a wonderful project that reclaims trees for wood products. If you're cutting down your tree, check it out. So this is my eulogy:

Purple copper russet gold

Leaves like pennies

Floating in a puddle

Slivers of sun

Lost in dark water

Rough corrugated trunk

Carries rain to the roots

Bends in the summer storm

Anchors squirrel nests

Reaches long twigs skyward

Cool the hot wind from my face

Remind me of nature's grace

Sway with me again

In that bewitching rhythm

Of castanet seeds

My fickle heart

Wavers between oak and maple

Beech and elm

Yet your tower of green leaves

Beckons me still

My friend, my dear one

May your heartwood

Become a treasure

Your honeyed flesh

A priceless gift

Good luck, little guy