Tuesday Poem

Under den Linden No More

Two basswood trees
Two basswood trees of four original
stood for many years in front of my house

their summer blossoms perfuming the avenue
these American Linden trees
in their Old World varietals
these American Linden trees sacred to so many
their summer blossoms perfuming the avenue
my earliest memories
could not withstand the assault of PSE&G
could not withstand the assault of PSE&G
their branches chopped brutally
over the years

Chateaubriand would have noted their size
and now
cut down
these two basswood trees
are completely cut down
cut down
their stumps
their stumps ground down
splinters
now

by John J. Trause
from
The Rutherford Red Wheelbarrow, #3, 2010