“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest ...

DEATH OF A TREE
By Esther Marcus, Jewish Home
volunteer
There were no trees around the house, except
for one big old tree in the garden belonging to
the church next door. Two elderly ladies tended
to the garden, which I enjoyed looking at since I
did not have one of my own. There was a grassy
area in the center with flowers all around it. I
remember roses, impatiens, and some daisies.
The tree was close to our yard, which is a
carport, and sometimes, when it was windy, the
leaves would end up among the cars.
I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed the tree
and the flowers; lots of birds did, too. I couldn’t
see them because the foliage was so thick, but
I could hear them all right and their different
songs.
Then one day, something changed. I had
been away on vacation, and the first thing I
always do when I return is look at my plants
in my indoor garden and then look outside.
Something was different. There was an ugly
old house I had never seen before, and then I
realized the tree was gone. It had completely
obliterated the view of that house, and now it
was gone. Why?
When I asked around, I was told that our
manager had complained about having to
rake all the leaves, and so I guess the church
administration had it cut down. Can you
imagine cutting down a tree because of the
falling leaves? (By the by, the garden also went
the way of all things, because the church needed
it for a children’s center.)
All there is now is an artificial green turf
and, at times, a lot of screaming. Fortunately,
the birds have not deserted. They have found
homes in the surrounding gardens and I still
hear their songs.
Esther Marcus
IN THE FORM OF
HAIKU
By Bernice Hunold
neat as a beetle
sloppy as a mosquito
what a pair
***
pillow contoured
mattress firm
wooing the goddess of sleep
***
the child saw
not the puddles
but the rainbows in them
***
muddle
poodle in a
puddle
***
ivy circling the room
from the base of a small pot
Brooklyn girl
Jewish Home
7
San Francisco