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Sapling

 

 

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- Planting -

 

 

 

 

To be perfectly honest when I was planted to represent him, everything was false.  I was meant to represent his life, but, to my mind, I was representing his death.  So, my new life was a symbol of his.  But I was not new born so this too was false.  I was a sapling.  I had been nurtured and developed.  I was chosen to represent a life taken.  Therefore, I was planted and there was a plaque in his name.

 

Russell Bennett.

 

I never knew him.  I only represented him.  There was a ceremony of sorts – family and friends gathered.

 

After the speeches and after the tears they never returned.

 

I never knew Russell.

 

I am sure he was a nice lad.  The gatherers seemed genuinely upset.  Russell had apparently died because he made a mistake.  He did not look.  He did not see the car that hit him.  He saw his leg drifting away.

 

He did not see his future.

 

I hoped that Russell was a nice lad.

 

 

 

A Dog's Life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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- Getting a Handle on Things -

 

 

 

Not for most, but for me it was a compliment to be pissed on every day.  Consistency is validation.  This is because it was a choice he made, so I should have been flattered – and I was.  I recognised a choice and he chose me.

 

Everyone wants to be chosen.

 

Flattery was not really in the forefront of my mind.  In the forefront of my mind was the fact that this dog came by every day, and every day he chose, out of all he could choose from, to piss on me.

 

In the forefront of my mind was something sensible, because I am a sensible and simple being.  It is in my make-up.  My only purpose in life is to grow.  Perhaps I am not unlike the people I see around me.  It’s just that they do not seem to realise this.  Humans do not seem to recognise the simple things in life.  These things are all that I realise.

 

Everyone has a need to grow.

 

So, I grew and the dog came every day and pissed on me.  And helped me grow.  But of course, he did not realise this.  The dog was a sensible and simple being.

 

When you are not spoken to, you only know names when they are overheard.  The dog’s name was Handle.  I considered this a stupid name.  I could see the irony in my observation.  I didn’t even have a name.

 

I was just a tree if anyone enquired, which of course they never did.

 

Why should they?

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Every day Handel pissed on me because every day he thought I was someone or something special.  Maybe it was a smell or a sense of belonging.  It was probably the first but I hoped in vain, that it was the latter.

 

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I have never understood how people can own animals.  I do not understand the concept, although in my experience of observation, most parties are happy with the deal.

 

That’s what I do. 

 

I watch.

 

I observe.

 

I have time on my hands.

 

I felt a sadness somehow.  Handel was certainly looked after – fed, watered and walked.  What more could a dog want, apart from a tree to piss against?  However, I knew that Handel was unhappy and took his solace with me.

 

Of course, I could not help.

 

I grow, but have restricted growth. 

 

Such is life.

 

For Handel I only provided either a smell or a sense of belonging.  I always knew it was the former; I always hoped it was the latter.

 

 

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One day Handel stopped coming.

 

 

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Such is the life of a tree.

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Outliving everything else.

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I liked the dog who pissed on me every day.

 

I am not ashamed to say or feel it.

 

 

 

 

 

Growing Pains

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Inscription -

 

 

 

I am going to be honest.  I didn’t like it.  I knew it was out of my control.  You may think it caused me pain but, of course, it did not.  However, it did hurt my pride which may surprise you.

 

Trees are vain creatures.  We always want to look our best and we compete.  To you, we may all look the same but to us this is not the truth.

 

The couple scarred me.

 

I think they believed that the scars would be a mark of certainty.

 

It certainly was not.

 

I am not sure that they would even remember each other today.  Perhaps I am being a cynic.  Perhaps my scepticism is based on my dislike of what they did to me.

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A heart should be a symbol of love and love should be eternal, not a temporary thing.  Although it can barely be seen now, I can still feel it.

 

Cutting.

 

A heart and initials carved into me.

 

 

 

 

 

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GG never married and was happy.

 

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HL married and divorced three times – and was not.

 

 

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Blossoming

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- Darling Buds -

 

 

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As I have said my purpose in life is to grow.  And grow I did.

 

Excuse the pun but I branched out.

 

She only came the one time and I did not overhear her name.  That was because she did not speak to anyone.  It was a hot afternoon of shade and solitude.

 

I would like to think that it was also an afternoon of sanctuary.

 

She simply fell asleep, with my arms to protect her.

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Festive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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- Spirit -

 

 

 

 

In life we all have a domain.  Mine was simply a village green but it was, and is, my world.  It was a world that I was proud of.

 

For years I was too small, too insubstantial to be recognised for the festive activities.  This year I was selected, chosen and I must admit I felt an amount of pride.  I have already told you that trees are vain.

 

It wasn’t the tinsel, or the lights that really shone out.  It was the expectancy, the hope that the whole festival was striving for.

 

This year they chose me to display their lights, their ornaments, their tinsel.

 

Underneath my branches was placed a crib.  It was part of the nativity scene.

 

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Inside the crib was a representation of the Baby Jesus.

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I just called him Russell.

 

 

 

the Storms

 

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