They arrived this spring
likely from a nearby tree
just a few
hardly noticeable
no great concern
natural order of things
A young evergreen out back
slender green needles
rough red-black hide
durable and hardy
a beautiful tree
patiently waiting for summer’s work to begin
fresh neon-green babies beginning to show
a tree of life
Overnight an explosion
by morning an infestation
blanketing the tree
consuming the baby greens
cutting dark needles
boring into bark
girdling
grinding
transferring life
By mid-summer the tree is dead
only a stark outline against the sunrise
brittle crackling branches
scaling bark
no beauty
no joy
no life
and ravenous guests are gone
Where I wonder
another tree perhaps
or into hiding
lurking
patient
waiting for next season’s first warm days
And if there are no more trees
no new worlds to conquer
nothing left to sustain them
what then?
A grander form of order
I suppose
Marv Himmel
May 20, 2015 ©