A Slice of a Redwood Tree
A slice of a redwood tree
sits proudly on display
in a coastal Mendocino County town
Boasting of progress made
lumber industry-style . . .
Nineteenth Century sensibility on display
in a Twenty First Century town.
***
A slice of a redwood tree
sits proudly on display
in a burgh in coastal Mendocino County
denoting an achievement
spun from a tragedy
of unspeakable dimensions
that was not apparent to those involved
but whose effects will be felt
by those of sufficient sensitivity
long after the dedication celebration
has faded from the memories
of those present on that fateful September day
in 1943.
A slice of redwood tree
affixed with numbers
depicting locations on its outward spiral of growth rings
corresponding with moments of historical significance
from which one can conclude
the tree began as a seedling in AD 190.
The tree was 121 years old the year Christianity became legal;
it was 876 years of age when the Normans conquered England.
The Magna Charta was signed when the tree was 1,025 years old;
it had been growing for 1,302 years when Columbus discovered America
and the tree had graced the watershed with its presence for 1,352 years
when Cabrillo discovered California.
***
A slice of a redwood tree
sits proudly on display
in a coastal Mendocino County town
like a cross-section of a tumor
in the collective brain of mankind
representing the disconnect
between man and nature–
the fundamental misapprehension
of the Judeo-Christian belief system
that permits people to exploit natural “resources”
with seeming impunity, unmindful
of our interconnectedness with all things
and how
what is done here
has an effect on what happens
everywhere else.
***
A slice of redwood tree
21 feet in diameter
described in a bronze commemorative plaque
as “the largest redwood tree known to have grown in Mendocino County;”
A redwood tree
that lived along Big Bear Creek
for 1,753 years
until it was taken down
in 60 man-hours
by men armed with a 22 foot long saw.
In a saner society
such a tree would be celebrated, sure enough,
but not by killing it for profit
not by placing it’s corpse on display
as if it’s murder were some sort of achievement
from which to derive a sense of pride.
***
In a saner society
such a tree would be celebrated by preserving it
for future generations to wonder at, marvel over,
and meditate on how it’s lifespan makes ours seem puny
by comparison.
***
In a saner society,
to even think of harming such a being
would be sacrilege.
*
Tim Konrad
3 November 2015
sonora2sonoma 