The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

How Do We Fix The Trees?

Listen to Jonathan ...
If you made a mistake with a large wrecking ball,
I could find some more bricks and then build a new wall.
If you cut the dog’s hair and it didn’t go well,
I could make her a wig so she just couldn’t tell.
If you broke all your bones,
If you blew up the shed,
If an elephant threw up all over your bed,
If everything went just disastrously wrong,
I’d get it all fixed and it wouldn’t take long.
I can fix any problem,
The Fixer that’s me,
There’s just one exception ...
I can’t fix a tree.

It’s making me sad, it’s making me frown,
A tree won’t stand up once a tree’s been knocked down.
I’ve strapped them with plasters,
I’ve made them hot soups,
I’ve asked for the army to lend me some troops,
I’ve spoken to doctors who’ve diagnosed drugs,
I’ve written them poems and given them hugs,
I’ve stroked them,
I’ve kissed them,
I’ve bought smelly flowers,
I’ve rubbed them with crystals with magical powers,
But none of it’s worked, a tree can’t be mended,
Once a tree’s broken its time here has ended.
Each time a tree falls my heart fills with fear,
If we can’t fix the trees then they’ll soon disappear.
Imagine a world where there aren’t any trees.
The air would be filthy, we’d splutter and wheeze,
The bees would all leave, the birds wouldn’t sing,
No colours in autumn, no blossom in spring.

But wait … wait a second,
I might have a plan.
We could all work together and do what we can.
We’ll always need paper, for books (and for poos!)
We just need to think about how much we use.
Recycle and borrow,
Don’t always buy new,
Print on both sides,
Share one between two.
Let’s cut down less trees,
Let’s plant many more,
Then maybe we’ll have even more than before!
So what do you say?
Say “yes”,
Say “yes”, plllleeeeeaaaassssee!

Because if we all do our bit,
We can all fix the trees.

About the Writer


Jonathan Sellars

Jonathan lives in Greenwich, England. He is severely obsessed with writing poems, primarily ones that rhyme. His work has featured in The Caterpillar and Parakeet magazine and his first picture book, Polly Plum: Brave Adventurer, comes out in Spring 2022. He has two small children, neither of whom can read or write poetry. He's not worried about that. Yet.