THE POPLAR TREE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 1 December 1938, Page 10

THE POPLAR TREE

0*? the side of the road it stands Like a seuliiud on guard, For sixty years it’s stood erect, Through easy times and through hard. What a lot of tales it would tell If this poplar tree could talk, The wagon days, the cars, now planes, Many a change through life's walk. There’s been many a wearied man Tramping towards cast or west, Who has sat beneath her cool shade To enjoy a well-earned rest. And many an expected friend. Who's looked lor this old land mark Guiding the way to the farmstead, Whether it is light or dark. An aged man goes down to say Farewell to Ins dear old tree. It was he who did the planting, And now lie’s seventy-three. The men with their sharpened axes, Have now come to cut her down, Aid as the man glances upwards On his brow there comes a frown. Thrilled with t he sound of their chopping, As they cut her rugged girth, The men work hard, they are eager To see the tree crash to earth. Look! Her branches are aquiver, And her time is very near, They’ve struck her heart, she’ll soon be down, Giant tree of many a year. Her trunk, a girth of eighteen feet, Holding branches tow’ring high Gives a groan as she crashes to earth, •She’ll no more point to the sky. On the grass paddock now she rests, And for that the men are paid, But your work, my men, is nothing Compared with that tree God made. “BROWNIE.” Wai-iti, 30th November.