I think that I shall never see 

A poem as lovely as a tree. 

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest 

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; 

A tree that looks at God all day, 

And lifts her leafy arms to pray; 

A tree that may in Summer wear 

A nest of robins in her hair; 

Upon whose bosom snow has lain; 

Who intimately lives with rain. 

Poems are made by fools like me, 

But only God can make a tree. 

 This poem, published in the collection Trees and Other Poems in 1914, was written by 

writer, and poet Alfred Joyce Kilmer, born 1886, died 1918, from New Brunswick, NJ, 

home of my alma mater Rutgers University. As beautiful as this poem is, reflecting on the grace and majesty of a long-lived, woody, perennial plant characterized by a single   main stem or trunk that supports branches and leaves, along with a root system that anchors it and absorbs water and nutrients, Kilmer probably never had to prune or trim one. 

That very predicament is where I found myself recently. For months, I have driven by with scorn, and disdain upon my face, as I watched what once was an inconspicuous spec of flora grow over months into a rather impressive tree. On the side of my house. Please oh please, don’t ruin the aluminum siding on the house, fair tree. Be kind. But alas my homeowner frustration got the best of me and I was faced with the Herculean task of going full George Washington, and chopping it down. 

I searched my shed high and low looking for a saw or other fine-toothed cutting apparatus that might assist me in this mission but all I found were random screwdrivers, hammers, oh, there’s the box of Christmas ornaments I misplaced from last year, and a rusted saw so orange it may as well be hung up by table four of a Cracker Barrel. And then, on a rather quiet and uneventful Wednesday, like a bolt of lightning from on high, it hit me – go to Sedona’s Tools Empowering People (STEP) table in the lobby and ask if they have a saw that I can borrow. They did. I set up an account. And the foreboding, Herculean task that I knew awaited me only took twenty minutes with a couple of well-placed expletives at said tree. 

Over the past year, having STEP at the library has been an invaluable service, apparently not just for me, but for many of our patrons who live in Sedona. Sometimes you need to dig a hole. Sometimes you want to make tamales. Other times, you need to hem your pants, or repair a seam that’s come undone. Sometimes—not very often—you need to replace a faucet. Did you know that replacing a faucet requires a basin wrench? I’m guessing that many of you don’t because let’s be honest—how many times do you actually replace a faucet, if ever? Guess what? That requires a special wrench to do it. That means a trip to the store to purchase the wrench – retail cost about $20 – going home and figuring out how to use it, and then realizing that you most likely won’t need to use that wrench again anytime soon—probably never! So, what does any of that have to do with a library? Everything!   

Thanks to the hard work of Peggy Chaikin, Jim Gale, and the Northern Arizona Climate Change Alliance (NAZCCA), who put in hundreds of hours of work, patrons are able to check out a shovel, a hammer, and a rake. You’ll be able to mend that tear in your sleeve and hem your pants, and yes, just imagine the BIG batch of tamales you can make because now there’s a tamale pot to make them in.  Do you need to replace a faucet? There will be a faucet wrench available too. In fact, you’ll have your choice of over 230 items and growing —not all just tools—ready to use, for free!  

Said Chaikin, “Recently, STEP patrons have taken on home projects like building a book shelf, retiling a bathroom, even harvesting apples! STEP knows your tasks vary and we have the tools to meet your needs!” 

But why stop there with just lending tools, let’s fix what you already have too! Sedona’s Tools Empowering People (STEP) is offering its second fix-it clinic on Saturday, October 4, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Community Library Sedona’s Community Room.  The clinic offers opportunities to repair cherished and still useful items that otherwise would be discarded. Small appliances can be repaired, computer glitches fixed, and knives sharpened (five per customer, no serrated and no scissors).  Tools from the STEP inventory will be used and volunteers will help with simple repairs. Signups are recommended via the event calendar on the library website, communitylibrarysedona.org and we’ll definitely let you know when the next fix-it clinic will be. 

STEP is based on principles and practices of resource-use reduction, sharing, conviviality, solidarity, and mutual aid.  By providing a venue to share tools in the community, STEP contributes to a circular economy in Sedona.  The first fix-it clinic, held at the library, diverted over 265 pounds of material from the landfill.  Volunteers are welcome to join the STEP team and the global movement to reduce waste and put underused tools to work. STEP which was formed as a Climate Action Team, part of N. AZ Climate Change Alliance (NAZCCA), is sponsored by Community Library Sedona, and is a recipient of grant funding from the City of Sedona Small Grants Program.  

NAZCCA volunteers have been collecting donated tools, gadgets, and, well, a little bit of everything from your friends and neighbors who have realized that they just don’t need to keep everything they have on hand at all times. They’re willing to share what they have with others. And we are happy that they do. Contact STEP at step.tool.library@gmail.com  for more information 

Community Library Sedona is also a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your gifts and support, just like the Friends’ contributions, allow us to provide a plethora of services and programs for the community, for free, all year long. Visit communitylibrarysedona.org/donate to make an online gift today.  

As published by Red Rock News

Library News Column for October 3, 2025, by Jan Marc Quisumbing, Scheduling Coordinator