complex abiotic factors interacted over time
with biotic stressors to reduce vigor and vitality
The oaks have died
At eight each morning
as though summoned by the winter sun
the buzz of chainsaws fills the air and
What was once a proud and stately
urban forest gives way
to frigid cloudless open sky
Soon only younger trees remain among the close-cut stumps
to face another year of mistimed heat and cold
another round of soil both waterlogged and parched by drought
And yet today a new and joyous sound
breaks through as children waiting for the bus
form an enthusiastic swirling line
To climb upon the round flat surface of
what used to be the largest tree and launch
themselves into the world
—
Since retiring from Prince George’s Community College in 2021, Dennis Huffman has volunteered as a “Weed Warrior” in the parks near his home. In 2023, he published Decolonizing the Park, a collection of poems and photographs about invasive plants. He is also a facilitator with the Center for Courage and Renewal. He lives in Takoma Park, MD.
