Do Not Cry For Me: A Poem from the Major Oak, Sherwood Forest

A poem of life and death, written on 24th June 2026, in the wake of the death of the infamous Major Oak. Written beneath the canopy clearing, with an iced coffee in hand.

Do Not Cry For Me

by Rebecca Lovatt

Do not cry for me; I have lived many years,

seen kings and kingdom rise and fall, held mourners’ grief and fears.

Do not cry for me; for I have revelled in life aswell—

Childrens’ days, summer fun, climbing branches ’til they fell.

Do not mourn me either, at least in the way you’ve been taught;

no need for tears, nor wails or cries, or flowers to be bought.

Instead, let me teach you, about life and death on earth —

a reality so stirring, and yet guaranteed from birth.

Some of us are here for long, some lives very brief;

each of us here to hold a hand and offer great relief.

And whilst I now serve the insects, the bats, the birds and the bees,

you too will grow to serve another, that blesses you with their need.

You see life is very simple that way — indeed all of us are special,

not more or less than another though, just a completion of the puzzle.

So when you look at me now I’m  a little hollow inside,

remember this one lesson of life, to keep you in your stride…

And in its final moments the oak whispered words the breeze carried my way

  “Life is precious — release the reigns of control, smile, and live only for today.”