they cut down all the trees
at ease
thought they could move on
once they were gone
naked hills drape the horizon
so hard to put your eyes on
when you know how it used to look
and all the lives it took
hail all the birds
hail the frogs
hail the snails
hail everything that vanished
in silence
forever
the sound of branches
grinding together in a storm
the sound of a forest coming alive
protecting itself
protecting an entire world living between its branches
and all the way down below its roots
reaching ground water
no matter what happens above
naked hills drape the horizon
so hard to put your eyes on
when you know how it used to look
and all the lives it took
hail all the birds
hail the frogs
hail the snails
hail everything that vanished
in silence
forever
goodbye to a forest
