PLANTED IN THE BACK OF OUR MINDS
Abruptly with warning everyone in their scuffed
armchairs sat forward. The BBC had chosen
to release across the country east to west
a batch of news spores really damaging
which for some years and reason they’d kept wrapped:
almost all Britain’s ash trees would get dieback
and perish. Timeline: 20 years. Dendrologists,
newspapers, nursery-owners, were on message
in this. Viewers leant forward into a bitter
spore-laden easterly of blackleaf prediction.
But as quickly the wind fell, the media after
a week dropped the story. Had it been said in fact?
What could a body do? Were thick-limbed favourites
already collapsing in gloom outline across
the window? Teacups of other news to the fore?
We sat back somnolent (and awaited dieback).