The Year of the Tree *
I carried a tree
through the Underground.
It was hard. At first,
people scarcely noticed me
and the oak I was lugging
along the platforms –
heavier than a suitcase
and difficult to balance.
We threaded through corridors,
changing lines: up and down stairs,
escalators, and for a moment
I imagined everyone on the planet
taking turns
to carry a tree as daily rite.
A few people asked
Why a tree?
I said it was for my own
edification –
a tree always
has something to teach.
Sharp gusts
whirred through the corridors
rustling the branches
as I hurried on
past the sweepers
picking up rubbish, scraps of paper.
Be sure to take the tree
with you, they said.
Don’t worry, I’m taking it
to my garden,
the start of a forest.
When people stared,
Relax, I said,
it’s a tree, not a gun.
* taken from Carnival Edge: New and Selected Poems by Katherine Gallgher
The Delightful Mrs P 