Ode to the fallen oak at Laite Beach

Mon, 09/18/2023 - 8:00pm
The fallen oak at Laite Beach. (Photo courtesy Karin Lockwood)
The same oak tree, standing along the shoreline, in January 2023. (Photo courtesy Karin Lockwood)

    Karin Lockwood, of Rockport, often visits Laite Beach, in Camden. Until Sept. 16, a handsome oak tree had shaded the green between land and the harbor front. But it could not withstand the strong, gusting northeast winds with Tropical Storm Lee.

    “This morning I was very sad to discover that the large oak tree that stood on the hill overlooking the beach had fallen in the storm,” she said. “After returning home, I spent some time reading poems written about oak trees. The one that spoke to me most is as follows (source: Ode to a fallen oak » Transition Culture):

    Ode To The Oak
    Ancient silent giant
    Leaves of gold and green
    With your rough exterior and smooth interior
    Thank you for the shade from the sun
    The shelter from the rain
    Food for birds and squirrels
    Thank you for giving without receiving.
    Watching the generations passing you
    Silently present day and night night and day.
    We don't even notice you, you've been there so long.
    Even in your falling you give
    Wood for beams, tables, chairs and houses,
    Still offering us shelter.
    We thank you.
    - Anonymous 14.10.12
     
    On Sept. 29, she was at Laite beach again and saw that someone had left a pot of mums and a bell at the base of the root system.
     
    “This tree must have been loved by so many people over several generations (I wonder how old it was?),” she said.

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