W.S. Merwin, the Pulitzer-winning former U.S. poet laureate, captures the essence of treeness in the delightful and insightful Unchopping a Tree. As he writes, "Even in the best of circumstances it is a labor that will make you wish often that you had won the favor of the universe of ants, the empire of mice or at least a local tribe of squirrels, and could enlist their labors and their talents. But no, they leave you to it. They have learned, with time. This is men's work."
From the delicate process of sorting out fallen leaves and tiny twigs, to the chips and sawdust scattered on the ground, to the scaffolding required to steady the broken trunk as the tree is uprighted, Merwin's words linger, causing the reader to pause and reflect on the majesty embedded in a tree and the nature that surrounds it. As Merwin suggests, although one might be able to reconstruct the tree, down to the tiny bits of moss that grow on its limbs and the spider webs woven in its branches, "it does not set the sap flowing again." This perspective embraces the spiritual qualities of nature, provoking a more thorough examination of humanity's rampant destruction of the environment. Lyrical drawings of the cellular structure of a tree by Liz Ward complement and enhance the humble beauty of Merwin's descriptions. --Lee E. Cart, freelance writer and book reviewer