And The Tree Spoke – #WRITEPHOTO

And The Tree Spoke – #WRITEPHOTO

That afternoon I had buried my beloved Clara. I had buried the one person who had meant everything in life to me. I had buried her between the two leafless trees right near my little villa. Clara had meant everything in the world to me. I was still unable to believe that she was no longer a part of my life.

We had been married for just ten months. Every day of those ten months was etched in my mind. The lovemaking, the laughter, the fun of spraying water on each other. The two leafless trees had seen them all. Yes, the two trees that stood in front of my little villa for decades had been witness to every moment of our happiness and joy in the past ten months.

Today I sat on my bed and asked myself, ‘Is life worth living anymore?’ There was nothing but a void in my life now. Life without Clara meant living like a bird without wings. I was wallowing in misery. I was imprisoned in a cage that would never open again. 

Did I have the courage and the will to carry on with life? Tears flowed down my cheeks. I looked at the trees through the window and finally made up my mind. I would end my misery once and for all. I stood up and went into the workroom where I kept my odds and ends. I found a thick nylon rope and made a neat little noose with it.

With noose in hand, I left my villa and walked towards the trees. I came right under one of the trees and looked up. I was just about to climb up when suddenly a sharp voice said from somewhere, 

Hello mortal, you seem to be sad.
Tell me what ails you.
Maybe I can be of some help
at this moment, when you are lost in an abyss
of sorrow and misery.

I looked up startled and said, ‘Who…, who is it speaking?’

It is me, the tree, speaking to you.
Do tell me what your problem is.
Maybe I can help you face
the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
with fortitude and without fear.

I looked up at the tree with tears in my eyes and spoke.

I have lost my beloved.
The love of my life is gone forever,
I know not where.
Where should I search for her?
She is not to be found anywhere.

I do not know what I should live for.
What should I do with my life
that stretches ahead of me
like the sands of a desert
that can be seen endlessly in every direction.

The tree replied in a soothing voice,

Let me give you some advice, oh human!
Listen to me and you will understand.
Let me teach you the secret of life
and the sorrows and joys you feel.
That will rip the curtain away from your eyes.

I have been standing rooted to this spot
for more than sixty years.
I have seen your grandfather and his siblings
play around my trunk in good times,
stand beneath me and cry in angst at bad times.

Ah, a great woman, your grandmother.
There was never a day when she failed in her duty
of watering my roots and the soil around me.
Spring, Summer and Autumn,
she would take care of me like a baby.

In the summers there would be big parties in this place
and a lot of merriment
with men and women coming from far and near.
They were a beautiful lot.
Full of fun and frolic and gay abandon.

Then it was your father’s turn to play around me.
He was a great man indeed.
He fought many a war in the army.
A man of great spirit.
A man who was ready to die for his country.

When he came back from the war the final time.
He had won many citations for his courage.
He had also lost his legs.
But did that dampen his spirit?
No sire, never a dull moment with him around.

When you were born, I watched you
grow from a young lad of five
to a sturdy youth of twenty.
You were always running around me.
I always enjoyed your explosive laughter.

Then came Clara your wife.
I loved her too just as I love you.
I am also sad that she is gone.
From this world of ours.
To someplace we know not where.

But let me tell you a secret.
There is no emotion that will cloud your mind forever.
The angst that has taken hold of you today
Is but a chimera that will not last.
Time cures everything, oh Mortal!

If what I say does not convince you,
look at us trees.
When the winter sets in.
It is harsh and difficult for us to survive.
The cold climate can destroy us.

Do we give up?
No! We try to ride through the difficult times.
We shed our leaves and hibernate.
We stay put and weather the weather.
Till the Sun shines again.

Oh! Human, give up this madness
you have embarked upon.
The Sun will shine once more
in your life too.
Till then stay put.

If you have understood what I have said,
throw this piece of rope you are carrying.
Go back to your house
and shake yourself out of your misery
For tomorrow is a new day.

I looked up at the tree after this remarkable speech that had opened my eyes. I threw the rope away and headed back to my villa with renewed vigor. I told myself, I can and will fight my misery come what may.

Author’s Note: I am writing this post which is fictional and part prose, part poetry after an extended period of an attack of writer’s block which rendered me incapable of writing fiction. I am hoping it is good enough to be published. This post is written as part of Sue Vincent’s Thursday Prompt – #WRITEPHOTO

I am taking my blog to the next level with BLOGCHATTER’s #MyFriendAlexa campaign.