Butchery of a Tree - Revisited

Last year a neighbor cut down the tree in front of my house.
Why, you may ask.
I asked too.

He just said, rather icily
that it was because of *snakes*.
But I reasoned, is not the entire surrounding area
filled with tall grasses and thorns?
Why single out one, lone, young tree to chop down
on the property I rent?

The first time it happened, last year, I was
heartbroken. I couldn't calm down. It was a Shabbat
morning - the aftermath - that I found out by looking
out my window and noticing a bare spot where green once
was.

I asked the *neighbors* who came and went about
their business on that day last year.
All I got was stares and shrugs.
The day after, this *neighbor* confessed
adding - *the whole thing needs to burn down*
in typical Achuzam fashion, I might add.

What?

He is old. Finds me strange.
Maybe alluring strange.
And this is entertainment
when there's nothing else for
him to scope out.
Free people tv.

So he carved a little niche where he sits
and waits for me to appear, if and whenever I
rarely ever do.
Passing time.
Desperate man.
Cutting down trees.
Cutting down the American woman
Xenophobic style.

So I turned on my heel reeling from not
comprehending the notion of killing off
beauty in the midst of so much sand, thorns
and garbage.
And proceeded to drink my wine, pray and
try not to mourn too much on the Holy day.

Then the tree began living again. I noticed one
day a few months ago - that it was alive, happy
and blooming. Recovered from its butchery
apparently not all of its roots totally
destroyed. It came back to offer some shade
and rest once more to weary African birds
just making it across the Sahara, Sinai and Negev.
Happy tree.
Happy me.

Till this morning.

He had enough of having his view blocked.
Couldn't stand nature overtaking his perversions.
So he went for the hatchet
and just hacked it to pieces
as I slept in oblivion.