Nobody Told Me

They came as dawn's fresh light fell upon the land. With their hard hats and high viz jackets. Busy men clamour and plot, Measure and scratch, Cigarette smoke floats up high. They never told me. Bulldozers and diggers, In splattered yellow overcoats, Sit patiently for ignition. Waiting to devour. They never told me. Angry Chainsaws roar, Felling arthritic trees That tumble silently. Only homeless jackdaws, Screech resistance. But why didn't they tell me? Maybe they don't know, That I was once emperor of these woods. The tycoon of rickety treehouses, Whose Kingdom stretched for acre and a half. Are they unaware of our imperialist acorn Wars, And slingshot invasions, That lasted to tea time, Or until a ice cream van Rolled down the road, Where's Clint Eastwood when you need him, He would ride in on his trusty mare With guns ablazeing, And rapidly put an end to this unfurling travesty. By this time next week my childhood memories, Will be erased, buried beneath tarmac and White lines Terminally extinct, so stressed out shoppers Can get their trollies To the shops at least five minutes quicker.