Eulogy

This tree ranged proudly over Lørenskog (which mean Laurent’s Forest) for hundreds of years. It saw the coming of men and building of small houses on the outskirts of Oslo. Later, when Lørenskog grew, it witnessed demise and slaughter of its sisters, until it was the only tree of old guard.

The residents in Georg Stangs vei 17B, the Tangens, have long gnawed their teeth at the tree, claiming that its top is slightly off-center and that it would topple, but that tree stood on, despite all the strong winds. Now the owners of the land at Georg Stangs vei 17C, where the tree actually stood forsook it and moved away. Quickly did the residents of Georg Stangs vei 17B move in and sent an army of hit-men to murder this proud forest giant.

Once they said to me, that the place for the trees is in the forest and not among people. But by this very same logic, it is them who should have been cut down by the teeth of a chainsaw, fore they are the ones, intruding into the realm of the forest, where there is not place for them.

As of now Lørenskog (Laurent’s Forest) commune should be renamed to Lørenvidde (Laurent’s planes). As Terry Prattchett wrote in the Science of Discworld, “Progress means smoke. Humans have surely made a lot of progress lately.”