Pepper Tree

To keep the large pepper tree from falling
I thinned its east-facing side
Where over time it leaned into the morning sun
And took on a permanent unhealthy angle,
Dangerous,
Jeopardizing my house.
My rusty jaw-toothed saw
Sliced through easy lower twigs
Exposing thick weighty branches,
My target.
When I needed more height I fetched a ladder,
Balancing tenuously,
Hacking at strong wood
Feasting on gravity.
Healthy green limbs fell
So the tree could survive.
I started through the last heavy arm,
Saw almost too late that it supported a nest
With three small powder blue eggs.
I stopped, leaving a deep wound in the tree
That would fester and claim the branch.
For now, the nest stayed intact,
But for how long?
I heard a desperate wind last night,
Which kept me up,
Anxious.

© Poem Fix http://www.poemfix.com 2012
Photo: Poem Fix