This is the latest in our series of Park Poetry - “Trees” by Tony Doyle.
Listen here: (or read, below)
“Trees”
Beautiful trees, a magnificent gift of nature
From the tiny bonsai tree to those which are huge in stature
These include the sky-scraping Kauri and the amazing Mountain Ash
They stand tall and majestic, overt expressions of nature’s panache
Eucalypts in John E Brown Park (Park 27A). Pic: Shane Sody
Trees communicate between root and a fungal connection
A community forged through eons of natural selection
Trees purify the atmosphere and take care of the Earth
While we’re unable to appreciate our planet’s natural worth
Trees provide a safe habitat for so many creatures
Branches, flowers and foliage are amongst their protective features
They’re an essential source of food for thousands of bird species
They’re found across the world, from nearby to its farthest reaches
A Moreton Bay fig tree in Possum Park / Pirltawardli (Park 1); Pic: Carla Caruso
Trees provide shelter, shade and an incomparable aesthetic
Next to a mature tree a human can look a little pathetic
Of course they’ve been evolving for 350 million years
While we emerged just yesterday, alongside other primates, our peers
Some trees alive today were saplings thousands of years ago
They’re the Grandparents of time, Nature’s gift to bestow
They were shading the Earth before the Roman Empire began
Breathing life into people and Earth, before Bible or Quran
Eucalypts in King Rodney Park /Ityamai-itpina (Park 15). Pic: @janbowpixs
Trees give off delightful fragrances from their blossoms and flowers
Providing medications can be added to their intrinsic powers
They give us delicious fruit to eat, full of essential nutrients
But for all these nature’s gifts, we’re often ungrateful recipients
Many people chop down trees for personal gain or profit
They’re the takers, not the givers, and they’re all too willing to forfeit
The many benefits the human race and the earth receives from trees
Despite the fact that if we remove too many, it will bring us to our knees.
Eucalypts in Possum Park /Pirltawardli (Park 1). Pic: Yuri Poetzel
Tony Doyle - in his own words
Tony Doyle
Born in 1948 with a visual disability, I have been totally blind for many years. I play wind instruments and percussion with Orchid, a six-piece ensemble blending folk and classical influences into a unique soundscape.
I began writing poetry during the COVID lockdown, and in 2023 published Vistas and Visions of a Blind Man—a collection of 277 poems—through Moonglow Publishing. In 2025, I received the Mary Walker Fringe Award for poetry following my multi-arts Fringe event at Ayers House.
My path in the arts began almost by accident, yet it has somehow led to fellowships, awards, and a Centenary Medal for my contribution to community cultural development.
I grew up in post-war Manchester, England, on a working-class cobblestone street with no flowers, no trees, and few birds. Our dilapidated two-up, two-down terraced house stood in the shadow of the wrecking ball. Today, my wife and I live on South Terrace in Adelaide, with the Park Lands directly across the road—a world away from my childhood. The daily chorus of birdsong brings a richness to life that I cherish.
My parents instilled in me a love for green spaces: my father loved the grandeur of old trees, and my mother had the proverbial green fingers. As a family, we were regular visitors to the Botanic Garden and Botanic Park—still my favourite places in the Park Lands. On a hot day, few things are as restorative as sitting beneath the wide canopy of a Moreton Bay Fig.
The Park Lands are more than a beautiful frame for the city; they offer free, accessible spaces for families, provide a cooling and cleansing buffer for our air, and inspire creativity in music, poetry, and art.
Banner pic (at top): Reservoir Park / Kangatilla (Park 4). Pic: Walter Bulyga
Make a submission for our “Park Poetry” series. Contact poetryintheparklands@gmail.com
