When the Axe Came into the Forest
The engraved text on these vintage forestry axes echoes an ancient Near Eastern proverb, preserved in Turkish, Arabic, and Jewish fables: “When the axe came into the forest, the trees said, ‘The handle is one of us.’”
This deceptively simple phrase carries layered meanings that speak with urgency to the contemporary moment.
First, it reminds us of humanity’s tendency to act against its own survival — dismantling the very systems that sustain us. Consider the clear-cutting of forests by corporations such as Procter & Gamble, which still fells old-growth stands to manufacture Charmin paper towels. Each year an estimated 15 billion trees are cut, often for disposable products that ultimately enrich a few, while impoverishing the planet’s capacity to absorb carbon and sustain life itself.
Second, the proverb warns of misplaced trust in those who may "look like us" but ultimately serve other interests. In the current U.S. political climate, it is a parable about blind allegiance: power often cloaks itself in familiar forms in order to exploit. A leader or influencer may share the language, culture, or identity of a community, yet act in ways that undermine its true needs.