The Tree and the Matchstick - Poem

This week, I was looking for some inspiration to compose a poem and after some failed attempts at getting a certain concept down on the paper, I was getting a little desperate for something to click. Well, by the grace of Hashems kindness, I heard this quote which I thought sounded authentic enough for me to try my hand at composing a poem.

The quote was:
"One tree can be made in to a million matchsticks,
But only one matchstick is needed to burn a million trees".

Although dark and disturbing, I felt it was something I could work with. So I set to work, starting on a fiery (pun intended) determined path to compose something I would feel proud of. Here is what I came up with.

I hope you will enjoy the read. Let me know if you found any personal meaning in the words, as I don't wish to burn up your time for nothing as you read this. 

(Okay, I'll stop with these hot puns... oh wait... I did it again)

Have a great week,

Yitzy Schweitzer

The Tree and the Matchstick - Poem

The tree is tall, proud imposing,

The biggest one in the forest,

No one proclaimed it leader, no one asked it to rule,

But, even so, the tree never enforced it.

He ruled the forest with a calmness,

He stood strong in storms and floods,

He provided shelter, from the sun and rains,

He laughed silently when passerby would become painted in mud.

But one day all that changed,

No longer the big tree ruled

For a fire struck from a single match,

Burned him to the ground, while the flames laughed hot and cruel.

It was not only him,

Who was lost to flames that day,

For the merciless fire burnt riot,

Burning all the trees in its way.

When people stopped to look,

At what once was this forest so divine,

a long path of dirt and ash,

Is all they would find.

Later, in a storm, when the one,

Who lit the match came looking and saw what happened to the area,

He yelled in panic, looked around,

But there was no trees to provide him shelter. 

About this, someone wise,

Once said, something unique,

He said, "one tree can be cut down, for a .million matches,

But oh, only one match can burn a million trees.