he best way to dispose of the tops is to lop them so that the large branches will come into contact with the soil. They will then decay readily, will offer but little danger from fire, and will help to improve humous conditions in the forest.

—Silvical Leaflet 38: Paper Birch,

Gifford Pinchot, 1908

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White birch,

White rot.

Cells spun

With need,

The whale-white

Mass expands,

And fanning ejecta

Prepare to breed.

Absent of

Light or ken,

The saprophyte whispers

Rhymes in the bole.

Mycelia loosen

The dread thing until:

Quiver,

Unspool,

Let go.

Nick Robinette is an Associate Professor of English and Environmental Studies at Quinnipiac University. His current work focuses on the poetic possibilities and textual function of field guides..

Email: nicholas.robinette@quinnipiac.edu