Our trees, Our life

We all looked around the new classroom.

Excited and eager,

To start our first woodwork lesson.

Belt sanders, bandsaws, drill presses 

Adorning the industrialised walls.

Our teacher handed us blocks of wood, 

"Value this block, no matter how small it is," he said.

"Every grain is one winter of a tree's life."

Overwhelmed, I looked at it

Seeing countless grains on my block.

"Softwood takes 20-40 years to be fully grown," he continued.

"And hardwood takes 80 to 100 years."

Amazed, I Iooked at it once again,

A whole lifetime I held in my hand.

Trees are the lungs of our planet.

Trees give life to our planet.

They give when they are alive,

They even give when they are cut down.

What do humans give to them?

We should at least start with some respect.