Planting A Tree Poem by Jan Oskar Hansen

Tree planting

We, schoolchildren, were sent to a field to plant trees
I was given a handful of samplings and a mall spade
the soil was black and moist early spring cold fingers.
There worms who appeared to dislike this sudden light.
I asked a teacher if worms knew they were worms.
" never mind the worms, he said, dig a tree.
Behind me, the lads dared each other to swallow one,
later he said he stomach cramps and was allowed
to go home.
Wish I was that smart.
That was seventy years ago the field is a forest populated
with rabbits and foxes, wolves are banned they
eat children for breakfast, the adults said.
I don´t care much about worms, but my hands were
cold, I had put them under my jacket, and I hated the teacher.
Nevertheless, I like to think I once helped to plant trees.