“How stricken would our luscious landscape be without the lovely Ash” Ali Walters March 2019

Today I am angry
Today I can’t understand why
We aren’t shouting from the roof tops,
That with dieback and the borer beetle
WE could lose nearly 1 billion Ash trees
Where is the Cobra planning meeting for that?
Where are the emergency tree planting proposals?
Why are the politicians sitting around arguing
about borders and immigration instead of
this national catastrophe?
Have we become so thoughtless so disconnected
From our environment that we would
Not notice if millions of trees disappeared?
John Constable mourned the loss of one “young lady”
What would he have to say to us about our carelessness with a whole species?
If they were humans we would cry genocide
There would be benefit concerts and distressing pictures all over the news
But we seem not to give a damn about trees or the 1000s of insects, birds, fungus, mammals
(including us) that depend on them.
How stricken would our luscious landscape be without the lovely Ash.
Will they live on only in place name memory?
To be read out like the names of
war casualties on Ash Tree Remembrance Day
Ash, Ashampstead, Ashbocking, Ashbourne, Ashburton, Ashbury, Ashby, Ashcombe, Ashdon, Ashdown, Ashen, Ashendon, Ashill, Ashington, Ashley, Ashamsworth, Ashmore, Ashow, Ashreigny, Ashtead, Ashton, Ashurst, Ashurstwood, Ashwater, Ashwell, Ashwick, Ashwicken, Askam, Askern, Askham, Askrigg, Bracon Ash, Five Ash Down Monyash, Saltash
Ash, Ashampstead, Ashbocking, Ashbourne, Ashburton, Ashbury, Ashb, Ashcombe, Ashdon, Ashdown, Ashen, Ashendon, Ashill, Ashington, Ashley, Ashamsworth, Ashmore, Ashow, Ashreigny, Ashtead, Ashton, Ashurst, Ashurstwood, Ashwater, Ashwell, Ashwick, Ashwicken, Askam, Askern, Askham, Askrigg, Bracon Ash, Five Ash Down Monyash, Saltash
Ash, Ashampstead, Ashbocking, Ashbourne, Ashburton, Ashbury, Ashb, Ashcombe, Ashdon, Ashdown, Ashen, Ashendon, Ashill, Ashington, Ashley, Ashamsworth, Ashmore, Ashow, Ashreigny, Ashtead, Ashton, Ashurst, Ashurstwood, Ashwater, Ashwell, Ashwick, Ashwicken, Askam, Askern, Askham, Askrigg, Bracon Ash, Five Ash Down Monyash, Saltash
Ash
Ash
Ash
Ash

© Ali Walters March 2019