Poetic prose on poplar problem

There is a quaint little town, about the right size
Where the weather is good and most often blue skies
It’s a ‘rowcrop’ heaven, spurs, corn, and the ‘beet’
But we still have our share of alfalfa and wheat
The soil is so good, there’s a variety of crops
There’s sunflower, dry beans, canola and hops
We have curling and golf and a great swimming pool
So for work or play, it’s kind of a ‘jewel’
Shopping is great, what you need you will find
It will even be delivered, if you’re really in a bind
There is care for the seniors, activities galore
Play cards, go on trips, camaraderie and more
There’s a very active theatre group, they put on great plays
All of us can enjoy on cooler winter days
But if you’re looking for a home, a bit of caution before you buy
Check out the trees, and I’ll tell you why
There are some nasty old trees in areas of Taber
They might be on that ‘great’ site or owned by your neighbour
These trees are a disaster, poplar cottonwoods by name
When the cotton starts flying, it’s kind of a shame
Your quality of life is impaired from four to six weeks
It’s like a snowstorm when the shedding peaks
Forget about your deck, you can’t go outside
To enjoy food or refreshments is totally denied
If you put meat on the BBQ, then comes the cotton
Results of steak or a burger may end up a bit ‘rotten’
It’s covered with something, it’s not BBQ sauce
It’s covered with cotton, and now it’s a loss
This kind of experience could drive you to drink
Or the resulting depression is worse than you think
If you suffer from asthma, you must stay inside
But your A/C is cotton-covered, and may even get ‘fried’
The solution is simple, the town must get rid of these trees
If you care about your citizens, do what’s right please

FRANK SMOLNICKY