Along the highways,
A silent killer lurks.
Choking and silencing
‘sweet freedom’s song,
ringing from all the trees’.
From behind the guard rails,
it taunts us -
threatening to destroy
every tree in its path,
and it knows we can’t stop it.
Invasive, it stretches its arms out,
grabbing its next innocent victim,
growing a foot a day, toward the sun.
Silhouettes of monsters,
clustered together, dripping with its weapons, the vines of death.
And as the world becomes warmer,
It dominates -
adjusting to the hotter sun
while the native trees can’t.
As it’s creeping vines reach and grab,
killing all the natives in its path,
It becomes unstoppable,
And so will the cascade effect;
Other plants, animals and insects lose their food and homes.
These highway monsters destroy -
And all we can do is watch from car windows as we pass by at 65 mph,
on our way to the mountains or beaches,
where we escape to enjoy
sweet freedom’s song,
ringing from all the trees.