Phantoms of years gone by
buried in a trunk starting to petrify
Witness to both progress and regression
through wars and the Great Depression
As strong as diamonds, as fragile as a butterfly

Desecrated in the name of progress despite the outcry
that old tree began to die
embodying betrayal, one more concession
Who will honor years gone by?

With forests and farmlands nearby
lost beneath a smog-filled sky
tomorrow is too late to ask this question
so much more than a protest expression
Our Earth in crisis, we can no longer deny
Losing time to years gone by




Photo by Crysis Rubel on Flickr
prompt: OctPoWriMo Day 13