The Cider Gum

The Cider Gum (Eucalyptus Gunnii) By Kevin L Fairbrother The full Moon ablaze in the night sky Beams down on the dead and dying Cider Gums Their ghostly silhouettes, so white and stark Now just a reminder of the past … The Central Plateau, the High Country of Tasmania Is or was home to these magnificent trees Now there bleached skeletons tell the story That the environment in which they flourished has changed … Grazed extensively by native and domestic animals Used by the aboriginals, settlers and trappers The Cider Gum leaf, was used to make cider And the sweet scent used to freshen homes … Eucalypts Gunnii (Cider Gum) unique to Tasmania Once so prevalent and used in a variety of ways Now standing forlorn, dead and slowly dying Their limbs and branches bleached white by the sun … Many attempts have been made to re-introduce the gums But the changing environment and pressure from the wildlife Has meant that the Cider Gum is facing a loosing battle For the seasons have changed, not enough rainfall and hot summers And the snow no longer on the ground for weeks on end … Such a unique and magnificent shade tree, stepped in history Will soon be a distant memory and extinct Will be left to the old timers to tell about the Cider Gums For I have doubts that mother nature can revitalize Eucalyptus Gunnii