A tiny chestnut tree grew tall <br />To span the decades well <br />And in the Autumn or the Fall, <br />Its spiky conkers fell... <br />The green leaves lost their chlorophyll, <br />Became like gold leaf's glow <br />And children gathered with the thrill, <br />Grabbed conkers then would go... <br /> <br />A piece of string, a three inch nail <br />And soon it's testing time, <br />For some succeed while others fail, <br />No reason and no rhyme... <br />Some are champions, born to win, <br />Despite a crack or two, <br />As if so brave they won't give in, <br />They're forced to see things through... <br /> <br />The chestnut tree stayed where it was, <br />Of fights it wasn't told, <br />But if it knew, it would be cross, <br />Because that's kind of cold... <br />Its children smashed to smithereens, <br />Defenceless every one, <br />By human children, even teens, <br />As if such games were fun... <br /> <br />Tremendous trees deserve much more, <br />Their grandeur warms the heart... <br />Alas, Man has no Conkers Law, <br />So no-one makes a start... <br />Thus conkers end up fighting fights, <br />While children laugh with glee, <br />For all of these lack wise insights, <br />Hence inhumanity... <br /> <br />Now you may giggle, laugh and snort! <br />Why should you care at all? <br />I bet you never gave a thought, <br />Why should you? You've left school... <br />Should conker contests carry on? <br />Or should we get them banned? <br />If all the chestnut trees were gone, <br />Perhaps you'd understand...<br /><br />Denis Martindale<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/bonkers-for-conkers/
