The acorns in the oak trees

are meals for squirrels.

But the green leaves that fall in Spring,

bitten from their stems by those

gluttonous rats with fur

are the collateral damage

on which squirrel- survival depends.

Innocent green leaves and their premature demise.

Shouts the saited squirrel,

“Photosynthesis Be damned! I Gotta eat!”

echoing all the “must have’ demands

from those who don’t have,

but want:

“Ve must haben Liebenstraum!!!”

“We gotta have oil!”

“We do, really, need computer chips, old chum

and so we have to have your rocks and also,

BTW,

we need you to mine them…”

“We gotta have!!

“We Gotta!!!”

“We.”

Until all the green leaves have fallen

and only the hot wind

blows.