The following version of this poem was used to create this guide: McKenna, Louise. “Sycamore Gap.” Crow & Crosskeys, https://crowcrosskeys.com/2025/05/03/sycamore-gap-louise-mckenna/.

Note that all parenthetical citations refer to the line number from which the quotation is taken.

"Sycamore Gap" is a free-verse poem by English Poet Louise McKenna which describes the felling of the “Sycamore Gap” tree in Northumberland, England. The crime was spotlighted in international media and treated as an act of high-level vandalism. The poem first appeared in Crow & Cross Keys in May 2025. Coincidentally, it was published just days before the mystery of the culprits responsible finally came to a close and two men were sentenced to imprisonment.