The Trees

A thousand trees standing in front of me, painting the scene, the scene of a landscape of stupendous green, all of which these two eyes have never seen, each with branches that tickle the clouds, clouds to me that forever looked to be out of reach. Just like my childhood dreams, they seemed to be out of reach, and somehow still possible- they were possible to me, nothing impossible in this “land of the trees”.

Soon, a voice out of nowhere, oh- how it overwhelmed me, to the point that I felt more than welcome in this encompassment of trees. The invitation, the voice told me, “would comfort my worries”, and only if “I opened my mind to believe”. Believing- ah, this part was easy, as the voice had already made me at ease, made me into a man, who believes in the trees, believes in the leaves, and everything else, this opportunity would allow me to seize.

Never being one to refuse an invite, especially of one so utterly distinct, I sauntered head-on, straight into this magnificent scenery of green, the “land of the trees”.  Each step that I took, every gaze that I looked, the giants surrounded me, providing all the while, a much needed breeze, like friends who have known one another forever, I was ever so content, and never more at peace- all of this happening with my new friends, my new friends “the trees”.

Another deep voice soon bellowed, “We provide many branches, the rungs that you need, climb up through our tree tops, and you’ll find the answers you seek”.

I pounced at the opportunity, for only a fool would not take, placing my left foot on the first branch, which was well within reach, oh- how this will be easy, each branch readily seen, the treetops will be all mine, maybe twenty minutes to be, as my goal looks to be no more than one hundred feet away, and I’ll will have the view I’ve forever been waiting, that being atop of my new friends, “the trees”.

After several minutes, and a few brief pauses, just to stop and breathe, I had finally reached the top of the mountain, or at least it was a mountain to me.  Esteemed by the spectacle that now lay below me, millions of leaves shining, like grains of sand on a watery beach, oh- but the grains of a sandy beach would be envious, invidious of this deluge of beauty, “the trees, and their ever so brilliant leaves of green”.

As stunning as my view from the top seemed to be, it was important for me, to take a glimpse down, just to see how far I had come, and once again this opportunity that I had seized, everything began with that invitation from my good friends, “the trees”.

Looking back through each branch and leaf, bewildered I was to see, that I had left time as it seems, and I was now gazing back at my past, and everything that had planted a seed of regret in my mind, each and every day, back through my forty three years of history. Those times, oh my god, those times when I had lead others astray, all of my misdeeds, the things that weren’t me, but I was ever bit as guilty. At this point, I realized that with each branch that I climbed, every foot that I got higher, even that breathtaking view from atop the trees, it was a lesson for me. I now understood what I had to be, the trees were telling me, that each wrong of my past, had a right that was to be, and this was my destiny, now to achieve.

With my wrongs of the past now overwhelming me, I gave “my thanks” to my new friends, “the trees”, for opening my heart, and not necessarily my eyes. For it was my heart, that consequently allowed me to see, and now, oh- do I see.

Slowly making my way back down, back through the thick canopy of leaves, I reflected back on the pain that I had caused, and everything else in my life that needed redeemed, that would once again, bring me my peace.  Still, being what seemed to be a thousand feet from the forest floor of green, I reached for a branch, this one being the only one of which was weak, on this mighty tree, whose top of earlier, I had just reached. Falling now, fast and free, except for the occasional branch that would unexpectedly greet me, during my plunge back, back to base of this colossal being.

Laying now broken and beaten, on top of the leaves, in this ‘still wonderful’ forest of green, I knew this was the end for me, and my dreams of ever righting my wrongs of my wronged history.  My only friends that understood my last true intentions, I lay here with now. Reflecting back one more time, I knew where my heart last was, and this puts me somewhat at ease, as I’ll spend my ending days, with my last friends, “the trees”.

Oh- what a view I now see, the last that shall ever be, and it all belongs now, it belongs all to me.  Oh, wow!