@nodes = $root->disembowel()
$parent_for_nodes = $root->disembowel()
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The disembowel() method works just like the guts() method, except that disembowel definitively destroys the tree above the nodes that are returned. Usually when you want the guts from a tree, you're just going to toss out the rest of the tree anyway, so this saves you the bother. (Remember,``disembowel'' means ``remove the guts from''.)

This is straight from the docs