Dan Hardison

Redwood of the East

All along the Appalachians, the American chestnut stood. A towering tree as wide as a man is tall, with a canopy of blossoms like snow in springtime. From fences to tannin, from furniture to cabins, with a nut that was prized by wildlife and man, this forest wonder was valued by all. But like an unseen fire, a disease from afar would imperil this American treasure. From the North to the South the destruction was spread until a ghostly forest was all that was left.

whisper of a moon
fading from night’s empty sky . . .
thoughts of yesterday

It has been many years since the American chestnut reigned with only bleak reminders of this once great tree. But there are those who are hopeful that the day will come when the American chestnut will grace these mountains once again.

something in the air
riding on the winds of change . . .
a new beginning