Back Next A Crooked Tree

When I look
Outside my window
At this tree
Watch this
Arab
Jew
Christian
Moslem
Lopsided
So every piece
Of heavy wind
Snaps the branches
Off this now unbalanced tree
I want to murder God
For allowing this to happen
And kick his free will
Rationalizers
IN their balls
And then
Pulverize
Any sympathetic
Attitude
I might have
Toward this
Deformed tree
By calling her unique.

Irwin R. Shaw - January 16th 1983