Chapter 1
I knew the trees were there
Though I did not touch them
Though I did not see them
Though I did not smell them
I knew the trees were there
Even when I could not compare
Even when I could not see, or touch
Even when I could not hear or smell
I felt the bite of the ax
I knew the tree had a mortal wound.
I knew that it would not live. I felt it die.
Felt the many bites of ax and saw
But all was not so terrible as that
A new tree will grow
Where the old tree was
The new tree will know about the old tree
From the roots left behind,
From the chemical signature
And maybe, just maybe,
From the things that knew the old tree well.
