About fifty years ago

They damned Rough Creek and called it “river”.

A few years later, or so,

developers bought some lakefront

from farmer Joe.

In with bulldozers,

 a two mile road was slashed

from stony cliff and thick forest !

To line their pockets with cash

they cut and carried the good logs

to the sawmill.

The old Oaks that had been hit (the “dogs”)

by lightening and the old Beech

showing a spot of rot,

they left standing.

At first, the local fishermen

bought the lots and built “camps”.

They were followed by richer

white collar worker champs

who built status cabins,

each more elegant than the last.

Now one of these Beech

had a weedy Maple seeding

growing near the damning rot breech.

For no reason

the owner spared this in his

“clean up” of the lot .

Beech and Maple

struggled to survive building overwrought.

One year the wind broke the top

of the  Beech off, blocking the road

until neighbors chain-sawed it for a firewood crop.

After that, the Beech showed

healthy new growth and the Maple

did about eight feet explode…

This is the status now.

Can you see the Beech gone?

Can you see the Maple glowing red in autumn’s bow?

Actions of little thought

cast long shadows.