A Dendrochronology

The truth of it is,
only until you kill it
do you know the tree's
history

You can argue this point
say you looked at one
that was already dead
or brought down
for other reasons

But the truth of it is,
you've performed an autopsy
which are things
that are only good
to diagnose a talking point

What did you find out
except that this tree had
experienced things
before it died?

Stick your head
out from under the pile of data
and have a look at
all the rest of the evidence
and then tell me
if you can still support
a claim that suggests we've ruined a planet
in a relative handful of years
when before that time
the patterns
of global catastrophe
still held

Then I want you to admit
that we have a greater problem
at hand
a far more familiar one
in that we support our own egos
far greater than we do a planet

This planet don't need us

And I think that's
what really concerns you
because assuming we're going
to ruin it
is got to be your biggest joke

Take a bow!

And then take your seat again
and realize
that if you don't stop
taking yourself so seriously
the world is not going to
goo-goo-ga-choo!
end

But
in the end
we've got to get that message home
so we slap on those caps anyway,
gollums with their quests
that prove amusing
because they're never
the last ones
in line