To Be a Tree

Loving places more than people. They might not understand how this whole world becomes a part of you just by touching a tree and feeling it, yes you can feel it, feel its strength in your veins, and how can someone not feel the amount of pride and hope it keeps inside it? And the reassuring it gives you that everything’s going to be ok, how can you not hear it telling you to be strong? Listen, and you’ll hear it telling you its story… how it stood still and never backed down.

"الأشجار تموت واقفة"

That was a title of a story I read a while ago. And it says it all. To die standing your ground! To be bigger than just you… bigger than life. To die after achieving something, it doesn’t matter if they approved it or not, they don’t have to like it, as long as it means something to you… as long as you believe in it. They’re in no position to judge you, even though they will.

To be a tree. How ridiculous it sounds… I know. But do you really believe that being a human is better? At least trees never harm anyone. They’re where anyone can belong, yes, you can belong to a tree. You’ll also be so trust worthy, how? Well, look at birds… do they trust humans? No. do they trust trees? Yes. As a tree, birds will be your closest friends, that means freedom will be your closest friend, the blue sky will be your closest friend. You think it’s boring to stand in one place forever? You want to see the world? –As if you’re going to do any good to it anyway- the world will come to you, birds will live on you, coming from far faraway! The raindrops will rest on your leaves on their immortal journey to the ground, they’ll even wave you goodbye before they sink in. And –maybe- someday someone will feel you, feel the life that’s kept inside, the heartbeat that had turned into a forest symphony long ago. And you might give that person the strength to move on. Being a tree isn’t just turning into wood and leaves, it isn’t giving a shadow and peace to a person either. It’s bigger that your superficial way of seeing things. It’s bigger than you, bigger than me, bigger than all of us.

You can’t choose to be a tree. You’re human through and through, I get it. I know you think this is nonsense, but when you get attached to a tree, it becomes a part of you. A part that teaches you how to stand your ground.

I’d rather be a tree, to be honest. Not a wooden tree, a human tree.

Yes.

VPW