The lonely, pebbled, scrapped up road

Once lined up with hushed green trees

 Now stripped and naked

Of their sheltering, crowning glory

 Slashed and sliced crudely

Deprived sinfully of their reigning grandeur

Silently weep

Relentlessly casting their silent tears

Upon the ground beneath

As the earth hungrily sucks them up

Lest some selfish ones tread upon them

Hush! It is the cool summer breez alone

That brushes softly against the torn trunk

Soothing its pain

Yet,

 A little, further down the lane

 A ravenous man strikes his axe

Against the humble, outstretched branches

Crushing it insolently to the ground

Dissecting it from its bleeding arms

Shuddering at every ghastly stroke

In mute agony and despair

The environment remains tensed

With the sordid appetite of man

The earth shudders, the heavens wail

 Thunder and lightning crash

Even as the thrashing wind stirs

And

 Hurls hurricanes, snow and blizzards

Toppling down man’s shelter

Seizing everything, it can

 Leaving no wood to burn

No fire to warm man’s empty heart

 All life is tranquil

 The clock stands still

                                                        ~ Shobha Diwakar

                                                       Jabalpur, India