Today’s horribly sad story is from an incident that took place in Sydney, Australia, back in January. A few months have passed. Grief has been processed. We can finally talk about it.

The pain, however, will never go away.

It seems the city council sentenced a grove of iconic fig trees living peacefully along Alison Road to death. They were more than 100 years old. Some people didn’t take this sitting down.

They mounted what little defense they could. Forming circles. Beating drums. Chanting.

Every willing body bravely took their place on the front line.

Alas, it was not enough. Late in the night, government agents, dispatched by the Randwick City Council, attacked everything. The protestors were dragged off to the Dungeons of Sydney, where they suffered with bologna sandwiches and stale water before being released hours later. By then, the agents had finished their malicious work.

The trees themselves fought back.

They had no chance against the hatred and tools of modern arborists: cranes, ropes, chainsaws, and diktats.

The reaction of the protestors was as sudden as it was sodden.

Protestors formed a defiant, final, human chain, but everyone knew the battle was over. The trees had lost.

By the next morning, the only thing remaining was a sea of sawdust floating on a river of tears. Two trees escaped the massacre by uprooting themselves during the scrum and moving closer to the corner of Darley Road and Alison Road. It is unclear whether their ruse was ultimately successful.

Soothing yet impotent chanting wafted along the roadway in the early morning dawn.

Citizens of Sydney took notice. Questions were asked. Answers were demanded. Why had the council ordered the removal of the trees? Was it for a new Trump hotel? A Trump golf course? Maybe Donald Trump had ordered it because he is just that evil.

Oh, oops. Never mind. Commemorative bags of wood chips are still available, but you must collect them from the city council in person. They cost $10 Australian.

We at Tempest in a Teardrop wish to honor the Sydney fig trees and the brave protestors who gave up their night fighting on their behalf. We’ve written this touching Haiku in the hopes that future environmentalists can take away a valuable lesson from this tragic incident. You know, as a silver lining.

Orcs brought cruel chainsaws,
Holding hands did not stop them;
Next time, bring more drums.

Show your support by posting a haiku of your own, along with a link to this post, on social media. You can also watch the trailer for the sorrowful movie that documents this tragic clash of leftist ideologies.

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The Spork Speaks — Tempest in a Teardrop — tempestinateardrop.com