3.09.2007

My friend is dead.

My friend is dead.

I came home tonight to find him gone.

I've known him for almost five years now; stalwart and strong, he stood across from the parents house with his brown bark and green furtree care...I didn't know German then. It didn't matter. I wasn't accepting of myself then. It didn't matter. He brought out the hidden parts of me even before I acknowledged them.

I'd come to care for him deeply since November...crossing the street to touch a branch, and send him a thought full of my love. I know he returned it. I would get tingles in my hand, his love token back.

Last night, I went over to him. It was late; I'd worked until 730 and didn't get home til 10, but he was watching for me. I was so tired, but not too tired to say hello. I went up and touched his green hand gently; he sent me a tingle in return. I sent him fondest thoughts, then went inside to the Cat and sleep.

Tonight, he is gone. I looked, as I always do, and missed a step.

He wasn't there.

I went and put my shopping on the porch, and walked over to where he had stood for so long. Sap oozed out his damaged trunk; soft whispers of him lay scattered on the ground, forgotten.

My poor tree.

They cut him down. He's dying now, slowly, agonizingly.

I can't stand it.

I picked up a small part of him that lay, alone, on the ground. The little part now stands at his funeral stand, in front of my candles all lit.

If you have a moment, put aside your cares and think of my poor friend.

I'm so sad.

5 comments:

Mutableblue said...

I am so very sorry.

AutumnZ said...

How sad. Perhaps he will allow you to use part of the branch as your wand.

Debbi said...

I'm so sorry. I know how you feel. When we lived in our first rental home, there was a 'branch' that was about seven feet tall in the yard. It just stood there next to another tree, looking lonely.
Over the course of about a year the little branch began to grow into a tree.
Over the years the little branch/tree grew to a tree. A peach tree.
We live in Illinois, there shouldnt be a peach tree within hundreds of miles. But there it was.
I loved that tree. Unique, different, one of kind. It survived winters and harsh weather.
Years after we moved I went back. The peach tree was no longer. It had ceased to grow after we moved.

Genhywfar said...

Thanks you guys for your kind thoughts. I really was upset this weekend; the husband just couldn't understand it. "it is a tree, gen" but hey, it was MY tree...

Anne Johnson said...

My neighbors hate me because I can't kill baby trees. My garden is nothing but oak and maple seedlings.