Reason to lament.

I’m lamenting. The loss of pine trees. Along a street near where I’m living. In the city of Carbonia. On the island of Sardinia. When I left last February, the stately trees, know as Italian pines or stone pines or umbrella pines, were there. But upon my return, I was shocked. The trees are gone.  Removed.  Because the tree roots were playing havoc with the paved bituminous pedestrian walkway. Causing heaves  and cracks. Making for what some locals  deemed a perilous walk. I never had difficulty navigating. And I’m an old fart. I walked as if I were in a heavenly cloud. Because of the aesthetics. The pleasing, soothing 60-foot tall pines.  Thick red bark trunks. Topped by umbrella-like branches with rich green pine needles. And huge pine cones. Far bigger than any I’ve ever seen in Minnesota.  Oh, what a shame. I would have protested the felling of those trees. Chained myself to a tree. And gone to jail. But it’s over and done with.  I can’t change the outcome.  The wavy bituminous surface is gone. And now there’s a wide swath of smooth grayish concrete. No more shade.  No more old Italian beauty.  Instead,  we’ve moved into a more sterile modern times. Reason  to lament. –Jim Broede