Ode to an ash tree

‘Always There For Me'

“It's just a tree,” but not to me, I hope you'll come to understand.

I commissioned Northgate to build my house on barren land,

And when one day a little twig of a tree did arrive,

It was cause for great joy and pride; making the street feel alive.

My first tree, fragile and no thicker than my arm,

But still, to the neighborhood, it added so much charm.

Thirty-nine years have passed; we've been through a lot my tree and me.

High winds, storms, lightening, floods, hail and snow 22 inches deep,

With the Village coming around pruning with tender care, so my tree will keep.

Now this pest problem threatens the very life of my tree,

I need to rise to the occasion and save my friend, no matter what the fee.

Do not ask me to sacrifice something that makes Arlington Heights great;

Showing such magnificence and giving the Village a beautiful face,

Making it one of the most impressive places in our state.

Removal? When I open my front door each day, where am I to stare?

At an empty space where my glorious treasure has been?

Then, reprimanding myself for not doing enough to show I care?

No, this cannot be the end!

Here's the message I hope we all will send:

We each love our tree and will do everything to keep it healthy or help it mend.

Our old friend, that gives us shelter and shade, no longer stands as a little twig,

But majestically reaches for the sky, over forty feet tall,

Gracefully waving in the wind to all.

Please, we must work together and not let even one tree fall.

Leslie Brody

Arlington Heights