They did not tell us
what it would be like without trees.
Nobody imagined
That the whispering of leaves
Would grow silent
Or the vibrant jade of spring Pale to gray death.
And now we pile Rubbish on rubbish
In the dusty landscape Struggling to create a tree.
But though the shape is right
And the nailed branches Lean upon the wind
and plastic leaves lend color to the twigs. We wait in vain
for the slow unfurling of buds.
And no amount of loving
can stir our weary tree
to singing.
Glossary
Dusty - filled, covered or clouded with or as with dust showing characteristics of age
Imagined - to assume; suppose; to form a mental image of (something not actually present to the senses)
Jade - also called jade green. Green, varying from bluish green to yellowish green
Lean - to incline or bend from a vertical position
Land - to give or allow the use of temporary on the condition that the same or its equivalent will be returned
Summary
This poem emphasizes the importance of trees. The world has become a desert without trees because in his pursuit of progress, man is cutting down trees at a rapid pace. The whispering of leaves of trees has ceased and they have turned pale.
Now the damage has been done. No matter how much man tries to compensate this loss by making artificial trees by paints and brushes and other plastic materials. But even though they look real they are nothing as compared to real trees. Their buds can never blossom nor can their leaves sing with the breeze.
सारांश यह कविता पेड़ों के महत्व पर जोर देती है। पेड़ों के बिना दुनिया एक रेगिस्तान बन गई है क्योंकि उसकी प्रगति की खोज में, आदमी तेजी से पेड़ों को काट रहा है। पेड़ों की पत्तियों का कानाफूसी बंद हो गया है और वे पीले हो गए हैं। अब नुकसान हो चुका है। कोई फर्क नहीं पड़ता कि कितना आदमी पेंट और ब्रश और अन्य प्लास्टिक सामग्री द्वारा कृत्रिम पेड़ बनाकर इस नुकसान की भरपाई करने की कोशिश करता है। लेकिन भले ही वे असली दिखते हों, वे असली पेड़ों की तुलना में कुछ भी नहीं हैं। उनकी कलियाँ न तो कभी खिल सकती हैं और न ही उनके पत्ते हवा के साथ गा सकते हैं।