I Am Become Death, Destroyer Of...Trees

I didn't take much notice of the noise at first. I'm used to birds darting into and out of the tree outside my living room window.

In fact, I've mentioned the tree before here. It's an absolute delight in the summer to see so many species of birds resting in the branches.

But the fuss wasn't for dying down this morning, so I took a glance out the window...to see a man had climbed the tree with a saw.

My first thought was that it was the council, doing a bit of pruning work. Then I took note of the cardigan he was wearing (discarded later), the lack of safety equipment as he perched on the trunk, and the fact that he was quite clearly of (or close to) retirement age.


I still at this point thought that he was trimming a few branches, so to be honest I didn't take much notice. About ten minutes later I realised that it wasn't just any old branches that he was going for, but one of the main branches.

I wasn't happy about this - the tree provides me some degree of privacy from my neighbours in the opposite tenement, particularly in the summer when the leaves are full.


Having brought that branch down, he then proceeded onto the one next to it. It was about this time that he clocked me sitting at my computer by the window watching him.

As he was tackling the third big branch, I decided to ask him what the hell he was doing.

He complained that the tree prevented light reaching the lower flats, that it was a stupid place to put a tree, that the back green was covered in weeds because of the lack of sunlight, that people couldn't hang their washing out because it would be in the shade.

Have a look at the photos here, taken mid-morning. The back green he refers to is in the shade anyway!

I complained about my growing lack of privacy as he hacked away. "No one can see you from the other flats anyway", he replied.

"Besides, won't you be glad to get a bit more light?"

"Well, no," I said, "we don't get the light on this side anyway, and besides I used to enjoy watching the birds in the tree."

"Well, I don't like doing this, but it has to be done!"

He was at pains to point out that the tree had been trimmed before, about eight years ago, and he was only cutting it back to that previous level.

I left our interaction at that, unsure of the ownership of the tree and realising that there was nothing I could do. Even if I chained myself to the tree, he'd just wait till I wasn't there to complete the job. A wee sneaky part of me did contemplate stealing his ladders and leaving him stuck up there!

So the sawing continued, until all that was left of the gorgeous tree that has given me joy over the last two years was this stump:


To say I'm devastated is an understatement.