This small poem was written by me more than a decade ago,. I do not remember which indiscriminate chopping of our green friends led me to pen this, but for some reason I did not share it then.

However nothing has changed over the last few years, with trees continuing to be the silent victims. I suppose this poem will very much echo the sentiments of all the tree lovers worldwide.


IF ONLY TREES COULD RUN

Wouldn’t it be really nice…

If all our trees could run and save their lives.

From the axes and machetes and the wrath of the human race.

The blind murders of our green friends, such disgrace.

Can we create the rains?

So essential for growing our grains.

Can we recreate nature’s beauty?

That our trees endow upon us in such great bounty.

Can we create fresh air to breath?

Can we produce food for all to eat?

The birds and beasts are fast becoming extinct !

When are we going to sit up and think?

Of the consequences we are well aware..

Yet we choose to close our eyes.

Wouldn’t it be really nice…

If all our trees could run and save their lives.

Do we have all the answers for the children of tomorrow?

Can we tell them that the natural calamities

Are results of our destructive activities.

Can we offer them a solution

For the all around pollution.

Will it be too late when we realize finally,

We cannot cut our trees indiscriminately.

Since we fail to analyze….

Wouldn’t it be really nice…

If all our trees could run and save their lives.

Tharangini Balasubramanian

Photographs and work by Tharangini is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.