Trees in Oxford

TREES IN OXFORD

Lifetimes stand between seed and oak lumber, 
wood destined for the dining hall. 
Each beam spans as wide as the ambitions,
of students who dine and dream beneath. 

A hundred years ago, the beetles came,
their jaws dismantling the hall’s grandeur.
A rural half-wit saw it coming,
And decided to sow foresight in the grounds.

For a tree is felled in moments,
but its strength grows, slowly as the oak just oaks.
That makes an easy puzzle,
Sow what you take, then sow some more.
Plant your timber for a rainy day.
Always, yet to come. 

So when the hall called for strength, 
it found it waiting— 
because long ago, someone understood,
that even though patience is a virtue, 
The oak rings grow too slow. 
No structure can be supported by the sapling of today. 

A seemingly young tree, 
its bark still smooth to touch, 
has lived longer than we reckon. 
We forget—until the moment comes— 
how long life takes, 
To meet the needs that hold the roof above.