| |
18. THE TREE
It did not take her long to hear the voice of a tree.
Freegirl found a glorious conifer—tall, a wide buxom trunk, sky ripping branches—and her Relaxation. Nearly half a mile into the sky, with a base measuring a hundred feet in diameter, and a root system unusually deep, this pine was one of the Giants. It stood within a grove of smaller trees, a commander in an envelope of dancers, momentarily reminding her of the Verdure Ring. (Yes! She could still remember the Circle of Secrets!)
Next to the giant tree, she unloaded her sleeping gear and lied down to Contemplate—her back touching the huge trunk of the redwood. Freegirl thought of her journey. Other thoughts passed through her head vaguely, much like a flurry of leaves passing through a windstorm—the tremendous volume of air being the main thought, while the leaves were inconsequential pieces of blur.
Then she imagined her family—and realized the amount of emotional tension permeating her memories. Quietly, with a slow rhythm, she heard Elfen’s words swell. Underneath the weight of her reflections, he spoke to her mind.
“There is much time and power in the life of a tree, and it has something to tell you.”
Soon she was dozing softly, almost conscious but not entirely. The tree touching her back seemed to hold her, and she felt protected by its enormity. Little by little, she could feel the base of the Giant surround her, as if she was becoming a part of its growth rings. The tree’s swallow did not feel threatening, and she enjoyed the security of this Mother Force.
And then she was Dreaming. She felt her feet expand, swelling with moisture, her toes pulling into long tentacles, weaving like a web, her appendages searching deep in the soil for water.
Suddenly, she was shooting upward, gracefully stretching—stretching toward the sunlight— upward, gently swaying her many limbs and arms, and long, stiff fingers.
She had a bounty of boughs. Limbs of various shapes and sizes grew out of larger limbs. She was full of green and everywhere around her was green. Her feet continued to root into the ground until she felt nothing could dislodge her. This was her home and she ruled it. Her land space was not huge, but the sky was, so she reached and reached and reached for it, sensing eternity, and seeing for miles and miles.
She saw baby animals being born, and other animals being pursued by larger animals. Death was a matter of fact, as stronger creatures overtook the weaker ones. Birth in blood, and death in blood. Birds sang, sitting among her many leaves, which were powerful needles. Winged creatures built nests and hatched eggs within her protective arms. Hungry animals climbed her body to seek the eggs. Smaller animals used her power and height as safety from Predators.
Fires came and cleaned out the sea of growth beneath her. Many plants used her support, slithering around her trunk, attempting to squeeze her life. But she busted through their tentacles as her rings accumulated.
She saw storms and floods that gulped everything in the way. She was a thousand years old and knew All. The Tree feared nothing, even when she was a mere century old, and a disease had struck some of her neighbors. It was a time of strengthening, for the wise trees who were her family, had delivered a message through the atmosphere. The message was a warning of the disease killing the trees, and because of this brilliant ability trees have to warn each other, she was able to produce an aura of poison, a toxic gas that permeated the surrounding air. The virus inflicting the forest was unable to penetrate her creative shield, and she never contracted the disease.
She watched life around her die and then be reborn—and then die again. Life for centuries was nothing but a cycle. Her trunk got bigger and thicker, around and around. Her roots became longer and stronger, digging deep into the soil until she could feel the Mother feeding her, filling her with refreshing vitality. Water, always the water. Sometimes she could even feel the warmth of the magma burning well within the core. And through all these experiences she stayed. She watched. Growing and growing endlessly. This tree was grounded with patience mightier than any other force on the land. Even the river’s floods which tore away the soil did not uproot her. She was forever still, going nowhere.
And of course, there was nowhere to go. Life surrounded her as the seasons passed swiftly, enveloping her soul with change. The tree laughed quietly to herself, as she watched each season vanishing into something new and different—always changing—while she simply remained, watching the times tickle her with their presence. Blossoms burst from her branches one moment, and the next moment her needles were falling. As she remained still, the narrow leaves returned, the winds always blowing her new hairs of green. Shining in the sunlight, she had seen it all.
And with the patience of a cat and the strength of a mountain, she grew, and grew, and grew, forever more still.
Early the next morning, Freegirl awakened to find herself sitting with her head against the trunk of a huge redwood pine. One of the branches of this amazing plant had lowered itself to the ground, and curled the tips of its smaller needles around the girl’s toes. The child sat quietly for awhile, touching the leaves with her foot, never in her life experiencing such calm.
And these words kept running through her head, “Stay rooted and watch these things pass.”
For the next few days sailing, following her sleep under the giant tree, Freegirl reflected her recent wisdom.
Everything was sacred, even the pain of her Vision was sacred. Frustration itself was sacred and not to be mentally fought. All things deserved their time, even those which hindered. She presently felt happy with her burden and peaceful, as the forest giants above her no longer gave her discomfort.
Elfen caught her eye and winked. He knew his advice had worked. They came ashore to rest and dream every night, a reminder to them both to stay grounded.
Even while floating, stay rooted and watch these things pass.
|
|