Warning: Dangerous Tree

Be the first to favourite this.

Long listed for the 2023 Urban Tree festival writing competition

Julian Bishop, Winner of the 2023 festival writing competition, reads “Warning: Dangerous Tree”


says the sign tacked to a barbed wire fence
         as if the singular anger of a pollarded old oak 
could be contained months after it passed on

as if the wrath of a mass plantation shackled
         by stanchions and slipped into plastic tubes 
could be excused, as if the rage of the lonely

front garden acer could be easily explained,
         as if you could justify the lopped off limbs 
of an ash desperate to bridge a tarmac span

or the indignity of topiary inflicted on yew,
         cropped into outsize lollipops and peacocks, 
as if being labelled scrub or urban furniture

weren’t enough or the slavery of being unable to 
         escape the chainsaw, the pain of being
stubbed and dehorned, your crown hat-racked

and topped, pruned wounds sun-scalded
         and invaded, plagued by pests and disease, 
as if a tree didn’t already hold enough rain



  • Read other longlisted entries from the 2023 Urban Tree Festival competition
  • Itching to write something yourself? Submit a piece to our Shorelines project, and invite your friends to read it aloud. Join one of our creative writing workshops or keep up to date with all our competitions by signing up to our curated newsletter here.
  • Julian Bishop

    Julian Bishop

    Julian Bishop’s first collection of eco poems called We Saw It All Happen was published earlier this year by Fly On The Wall Press.  twitter: @julianbpoet

    One thought on “Warning: Dangerous Tree

    Leave a Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Also check out

    Post
    I can’t help it

    1 Sep, 2023

    Longlisted for the 2023 Write about Walking A/way competition.

    Post
    Foul Weather, Wild Fowl

    1 Sep, 2023

    Longlisted for the 2023 Write about Walking A/way competition.

    Post
    Once I was a tree

    1 Apr, 2023

    Once I was a tree by Julian Bishop long listed for the 2023 Urban Tree festival competition.

    Post
    This Leaf

    1 Apr, 2023

    This Leaf by Penny Denman long listed for the 2023 Urban Tree festival competition.

    Post
    Poetree (an urban forest shanty)

    1 Apr, 2023

    Poetree by Bin Rich long listed in the 2023 Urban Tree festival writing competition.

    Post
    When the Bough Holds Strong

    1 Apr, 2023

    When the Bough Holds Strong by Andrew Halsall Smith long listed for the 2023 Urban Tree festival writing competition.

    Post
    Jacaranda: Blue On Blue

    1 Apr, 2023

    Jacaranda: Blue on Blue by John Bowen long listed in the 2023 Urban Tree festival writing competition.

    Post
    Tree

    1 Apr, 2023

    Tree by Admoni long listed in the 2023 Urban Tree festival writing competition.

    Post
    Death of a Veteran – south London 1973

    1 Apr, 2023

    Death of a Veteran - south London 1973 by Arthur Sparrow long listed in the 2023 urban Tree festival writing competition.

    Post
    Walking A/way with the prizes…

    24 Sep, 2023

    At the Sound Walk Stories Sunday showcase event of new writing, at which the shortlisted poems and stories from our 2023 Walking A/way themed writing competition, were read by their inspiring authors, we learnt which of them walked away with the prizes.

    Post
    A tree with no name

    1 Apr, 2023

    The tree with no name by Diane Jackman long listed for the 2023 Urban Tree festival writing competition.

    Post
    Evergreen

    1 Apr, 2023

    Evergreen by Em Gray long listed in the 2023 Urban Tree festival writing competition.