Uh oh...You're Dead! (Talking to Trees 2)

In the midst of all the lush green
There you are
Tall and strong

But you're dead

What happened?
Somehow you got disconnected
From your life source
From your roots
From the vine

Did disease set in slowly?
Something you should have paid attention to earlier?
Was it little bugs?
Something you thought you could handle on your own?
But you were too strong
And then the infestation grew, and grew
And before you knew it you were a goner

From other angles, you still look really good
From down below, no one would even know
You're still covered in lush green
Those that came and surrounded you
Drew on your strength

But their fruit, even you helping them bear fruit
Is no indication of your life
Their fruit is only a sign of the life in them
The sign of your life would be the fruit growing on you

And there is none

Do you even know you are dead?
Did you even notice the slow decay?
Or did you ignore the signs?
Were you so busy that you could not tell?
So caught up with all the life around you
When the life left you
You couldn't even tell?

Sometimes, actually,
No one can tell even from other angles.
Winter soon comes
All the others will lose their leaves too
Ah, that will be comforting
Then they will all look just as barren as you

You still have some use
You can still support others
Bearing their weight
Until they discover you can no longer support

But someday you will not even be able to bear your own weight
Someday the truth that IS already
Will be evident to all
You will come crashing down
Fit only to be burned

(Mostly written October 4, 2010--a day I was seeking God, and hearing Him speak through trees--words of warning, parables of life. This is the second Talking to Trees entry, see Talking to Trees 1 here)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello Traveler,

I enjoyed both of your "talking to trees" posts. God also teaches me through nature and reflection. I thought you might enjoy this poem about a tree that I wrote: http://blessedwithjoy.wordpress.com/2010/08/28/a-poem-for-a-friend/

Traveller said...

Hey Blessedwithjoy,

Thanks for your comment and directing to your poem. Cool. (I realized, maybe I should have, like in yours, pointed out that this photo is the actual tree I was looking at).

In yours, following from the thoughts of this one, the line that jumped out at me was "You see, I fought for regrowth". In this poem ("Up oh... You're Dead"), it sounds like it is already over, there is only death and decay ahead. But maybe it isn't, maybe this is just one dead branch. Maybe there is a deeper and lower part of the tree that is still alive. With a pruning away of the dead, and a "fight for regrowth" who knows what possibilities might still be ahead.

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