yes. yes, it IS Spring.
Now I know that it is Spring for sure.
Because the city workers have emerged from hibernation. It's like seeing the first robin of Spring, but driving a blue truck and wearing a yellow safety vest. Ah, the tree pruners.
So I have written a special poem. With apologies to Joyce Kilmer.
Trees...as pruned by Chicago City Workers
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree
Pruner...who hacks the leafy limbs
And carefully the branches trims.
The hydraulic lift groans and mutters
It lifts him higher than my gutters.
Branches go into the mulcher
A sacrifice to horticulture.
He disappears when snow comes down
Shows up again when Spring hits town.
In his lift, he sits, aloof,
And keeps the squirrels from my roof.
And that is important. Because those squirrels? Between burrowing in our eaves and burying nuts in the planters, I know that they are out to get me. Seriously.
(11)
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Comments
Yeah for Spring. And the poem had me in stitches! Very nicely done.
Posted by: Heather | April 12, 2005 6:55 PM
Yeah for Spring. And the poem had me in stitches! Very nicely done. I'm sure even Joyce Kilmer would see the humor in it.
Posted by: Heather | April 12, 2005 6:57 PM
Those squirrels aren't a laughing matter, I saw a home improvement show on TLC where they found a enough dead squirrels to fill a garbage bag in the ceiling. It was disgusting, there was maggots in the light fixture! Wouldn't that be a surprise when ripping out a ceiling
Posted by: Derek | April 12, 2005 6:59 PM
I saw that show too! What a mess! The thing I found so hilarious about it was when the old homeowners were all surprised that there were squirrels in the ceilng..... I mean, seriously... they couldn't SMELL them? ish. Made me feel not 'quite' so bad about our current bug problem (Take a look at 'Midwest Farmhouse' part of houseblogs.net)
By the way ... the show is called 'MOVING UP' and brings past homeowners back to their old homes to see the repairs that the current owners have made. The most depressing part is how ridiculously quick the remodeling takes place. The host will say something like 'Jack and Jill spent the last 10 MONTHS renovating!' Oh please....
Posted by: Angela | April 12, 2005 9:25 PM
How appropos... today I watched "tree pruners" methodically cut down the vibrantly healthy 100+ year old oak tree that shaded our back yard. Because the tree doesn't belong to us, I could only watch in horror and disbelief. These are the same neighbors who raised my hopes when they pulled down the old aluminum siding only to replace it with vinyl. Sorry to vent -- I really would have liked that poem on any other day.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 12, 2005 11:19 PM
Oh, Anon! The tree pruners here were only pruning. If they ever cut down a healthy tree, I would cry. I really enjoy the trees on our street and I'm thankful that they are there.
Posted by: jm | April 13, 2005 5:03 AM
Here in Minneapolis, we're having a big problem with Dutch elm disease. The city tree guys come and spray orange circles on the affected trees. It seems like elms were the only trees in my neighborhood (I'm a renter downtown) and half of them have been cut in the past year and a half.
It's also a sign of spring when the city closes off sides of streets for parking so they can do some street sweeping.
Posted by: Magill | April 13, 2005 7:38 AM
Apologize,indeed! I'm sure Mr. Kilmer is turning over in his grave!!!POPS"30"
Posted by: POPS | April 13, 2005 11:08 AM
Hee hee, funny lady. Spring has been well established around here more than a month, but it's really starting to look it with azaleas and dogwoods blooming everywhere.
Posted by: Kristin | April 13, 2005 11:55 AM
Brilliant poem--I especially liked the rhyme with "horticulture"... That's a toughie! Had a good giggle.
BTW, as far as squirrels go, Doug and I discovered the end all be all. And it doesn't kill them (or us). It's called "Liquid Fence" and it smells worse than anything you'll ever smell--but when it dries (which is fast) humans don't smell it anymore. But the squirrels do! We sprayed it around our front yard b/c they were eating our tulips and they haven't been back since. They even abandoned their nests in the trees. More like Liquid Berlin Wall! The stink is "putrescent egg solids" and "garlic oil". [shudder]
Posted by: Jess | April 14, 2005 12:48 PM
I like your poem! Joyce Kilmer was the name of my grade school, way up there in Rogers Park, and I never thought his poem was any good - a tree that may "wear" robins in its "hair" is way too much personification for my taste...
Posted by: fran | April 14, 2005 1:10 PM