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  Joel Solonche  
   
 
         
         

The Wye Oak

It was 460 years old.
It was the largest white oak in America.
It was 79 feet tall.
The spread of its crown was 102 feet.
The trunk is in storage.

The state of Maryland has not decided
what to do with the rest of the wood,
so here are a few suggestions for the state of Maryland:

Make pencils for the unemployed of Maryland
to sell on Baltimore Street corners.

Make toys for the orphans of Maryland to get for Christmas.

Make shelters for the homeless of Maryland to sleep in at night.

Make cordwood for the elderly poor of Maryland who
are forced to choose between spending their Social Security checks
on heating oil or prescription medicine.

Make trees for the birds of Maryland whose habitat
has been destroyed by the developers and their friends, the politicians.

         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
 
   
     
 
 
       
  Copyright © 2012 Pemmican Press and the author/artist represented.