Farewell Tree Of Knowledge Poem by Vera Cutting of Ingham

If the Halifax Tree of Knowledge in Halifax's main street could only talk,  
Many a tale it could tell and not even baulk.
Elderly folk sit under its branches spreading wide,  
Telling tales and yarns of today and yester years, maybe about who has been born, married, divorced or died.

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If the Tree of Knowledge could only talk,
Lots of gossip it would tell and not even baulk.  
Tell all it has heard and all it has seen,
Who has been charitable, who has been mean.

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If the Tree of Knowledge could only talk,
It could tell many a story and not even baulk.
Many a time it has been entertained festivals with bands,
Could even tell how many people, and how much money has passed hands.

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If the Tree of Knowledge could only talk,
Many a secret it could tell and not even baulk.
Tell of business houses of days gone by, now all closed down,
Baker, movie theatre, drapery, café, post office and bank have all left Halifax town.

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If the Tree of Knowledge could only talk,
What yarns it could tell and not even baulk.
About customers of the newsagency, shop, servo, library, butcher, hairdressers, museum and pubs,
Be they men, women, teenagers, children or bubs.

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If the Tree of Knowledge could only talk,
What tales it would tell and not even baulk.
The council was thinking of chopping the mango trees down,
Because of the mess in the main street of Halifax town.  
Please leave all the trees alone, don't chop them down.

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Don't be mean, or the Tree of Knowledge will spill the beans,
With all it has heard and all it has seen.
But sadly, the Tree of Knowledge can no more maybe talk,
Cause Cyclone Yasi has blown it down like sticks of chalk.

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No more gossip or activities will be seen or heard,
It will go to God in pieces, mulch or sawdust, I fear.

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No more can the Tree of Knowledge talk and spill the beans,
With all it has heard and all it has seen.

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Cause Cyclone Yasi was oh so wild, windy and totally mean,
Farewell Halifax Tree of Knowledge, farewell.

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