Tree stumps, marked by concentric rings, tell the story of their age and the weather they have endured for decades.

	ah! the wood grains on furniture highly priced

“We fell them down and turn them into paper, that we may record our emptiness,” wrote Khalil Gibran.

	the use of toilet paper, much like unrolling thoughts 
	books read and unread are gathering dust 
	paper napkins here, there, everywhere

In Chennai, the construction of metro rail and flyovers is leading to widespread and relentless tree-cutting.

	wind from a falcon’s wing 
		whips the silence ...
	i wake up 
				my rocking chair 
				repaired for the umpteenth time 
				saving a tree

Kala Ramesh

is a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet, a mentor, an editor and anthologist, an artist, and a renowned pioneer in the field of haikai literature in India. She is the Founder/Director of Triveni Haikai India, the Founder/Managing Editor of haikuKATHA Journal, and haiku editor of Under the Bashō.

For details, please see Author’s Bio at Writers Edition: Kala Ramesh: Championing the Haikai Tradition in India and Beyond.