soft wood

"the one thing about Chestnut wood is that it’s pretty soft”

hardhat, reflective vest, cigarette between pursed lips

the limb was lying there when I passed

how long had it been spread across the sidewalk like an open arm?

what south-easterly caused it to fall

and who heard the crash? 

(does soft wood crash? 

or does it resign itself to the wind

accept gravity’s defeat

sink into cement?)

now there are people gathering to watch 

the city arborists collect the chestnut rubble 

(is tree-chipping the equivalent of cremation? 

where do they spread the saw dust? 

wouldn’t you rather fall in a field or a forest 

and offer all the old gifts, given by sun and soil 

back to the earth?)

they’ve set to work now 

and little children’s ears perk at the sound of chainsaw

they run closer and plug their ears and watch

noise, machinery, might 

fascinating and fearsome 

even soft wood does not go silently

(August 25th, 2020, Vancouver)

*I later learned that the city parks employee in the hardhat was wrong — Chestnut is not a softwood but a hardwood. But perhaps even hardwood can be soft…