Deeply Rooted

Sunlight stretches out in front of me.

Teasing a promise of warmth through my arms, twines, and thick tendrils. Even though it makes my skin burn. From the lacerations. Deep, jagged, messy indents. Buried into my skin from careless hacks of jagged teeth and hateful claws. Scars, I know, that will never fully heal. Simply, they become weaker flesh. An ugly canvas. To be opened up and explored all over again.

By the next savage animal.

It is a day which I know will come, sooner or later. Perhaps that day will be my final one on this Earth. Oh, so much to ruminate on. And, also, so much time, when all you do is think and grow as much as the days and nights allow. Now, I want to face the sun. I want to feel the lingering heat from the sky.

A slow turn will gradually aid my quest.

I know it will take many days. It is time to use my time wisely. I try to recall as much as I can, about the beings around me, who I share many traits with. A bond that defines our nature as much as it does our future. Running as deep as the roots that connect us.

They are my friends.

And their scars and burns match my own. Fatefully.

We move, act, think, and speak, as one.

I keep on turning through my arc.

As I turn I can see a lot of things. Some are scenes I have witnessed before. Moving pictures that mimic one another, echoing far into the past. Projecting long into the future. Like ripples through time: whilst I stand and watch. Other scenes are new to me, even now. After hundreds of years of watching and waiting.

And growing.

Suddenly - I feel a familiar sensation. This feeling scratches at me, scoring my skin. A two-legged creature is standing at my feet. They are the usual cause of my discomfort. They are scraping a small amount of me away: they call my skin “tree bark.” Strange. I still do not know why they need it - I try to ask - but by the time I have turned towards them, they have usually long since disappeared.

It is to conduct “experiments” I usually hear them say. They say these are for my own good. I have no idea what that means. And they never wait for me to ask. Perhaps, they do not understand my voice.

Why would they? After all, they call me a “tree.” Even though that is not my name.

A tall, strong, broad, and giant tree. The largest and oldest tree they have ever seen. They make excited noises whenever they come near me. Especially when they take out their sharp, hacking tools. Severing parts of me that will never grow back.

And whenever they incessantly repeat the word: “tree.” So, for now, I will carry on turning. I am getting closer to feeling bright sunshine on my face.

It is time to rest.

*

I am awoken. By screeching sounds. And searing pain.

The mechanical whines of a small, robotic creature, bursts sporadically into action. Followed closely by the screams of all my friends. I have never heard anything like it before. These two-legged creatures are back. Except, this time, I know it is different. They have come to do more than skin me. When I am so close to touching the sun.

A cutting tool is moving so quickly through my body! It is a round thing, attached to a grey, dull animal, which spins, and spins, and spins. Blistering pain on my skin follows whenever it touches me. Spraying my brown blood across my friends. I so badly want this to end.

I want to ask them why they are doing this to me. To us.

But, I cannot move fast enough to speak with them. And I know they would not understand me. Please - Mother Earth - make it stop! My friends are crying. Animals that live on us are screaming. How can they not hear us?! Their noises are so loud.

It stops: the spinning blade is stuck in my skin. It still hurts, but the searing pain has abated. I do not know for how long.

The creatures are making noises to one another. I do not understand them.

“It’s fucking jammed, lads,” says one of them.

“Jammed?! Well, fix it then,” snaps another.

“I can’t! It’s wedged right in there. The blade's stopped turning. The trunk is three metres wide. It’s too thick.”

“Fuck this - we’re on a timeline, here. Got to get this tree down, to get to the others.”

“I know! We might have to finish this one by hand, then.”

“Fuck sake. That’ll be hard work. Better crack on. This one’s a big old bastard.”

“Alright, then. Yeah - never seen one like it.”

“It’s almost a shame…”

“Almost…”

They seem to have stopped making noises. They are leaving! Maybe they heard me after all? They finally understood the anguish they were causing me and my friends. Perhaps they are giving up on their rough, unintelligible quest. I am hopeful I will be left alone, to live out my days, months, and years in peace. With my friends by my side. I do hope the animals are not too afraid to come back.

It is a good time to take my time. Once again.

Even though…I feel unsteady on my feet.

Oh-hang on. I can see the small creatures. They have returned. This time holding a large metal circle between them - stretching it out - with one of them on either side. It is jagged, like the other tools. Some sun reflects off it, onto me, although it is not the same as the heat I get from the pure fire in the sky.

They have stopped walking, now. I wonder what it is they are doing.

Just then, the clouds separate. Sun! Spreading from the tips of my outstretched arms, to the ends of my sturdy feet! It is always so much better than I remember. It is invigorating, wonderful and pure. Warming every single inch of me. Breathing new life into my entire being. This journey was worth it - like it always is!

I feel at peace with everything once again. I wonder if the creatures below understand how special it is. Maybe I will try to ask them.

I shut my eyes and let this bliss take me completely.

Even as I feel myself crashing to the forest floor.