As The Seasons Change, A Tree's Point Of View

I am lucky to live in a place where the seasons are pronounced with vivid colors and beautiful snow scapes. I wonder, sometimes, what the plants are feeling as time passes by them. I watch as flowers grow from buds that turn into bright flowers that dance in the sun. Then the petals slowly fade away to seeds. Fall comes and cools the vines and leaves. Soon the north wind arrives casting them to the cold earth where the snow will cover them in an icy white blanket. I watch as the grass goes from brown dried straw to green feathery softness. It waves in the bright sun like a green ocean. Then it slowly browns once more before being buried like the flowers in a blanket of white.

I watch as the trees proudly display their buds in spring while the last of the dead leaves fall from their branches. Then they sprout leaves and flowers of their own which dance and play in the bright sunshine only to loose them to the harsh winds and rains of fall and then stand cold and empty while the snow falls. With this in mind, I created the short piece you see below. I was, in my wild imagination, trying to describe what a tree might feel like as the seasons slowly pass from one to the other in their endless flow of life and death.

Spring begins with the wind slowing and the sun warming everything. Rain falls to wake the trees from their slumber so they may drink and create their promising buds. How would a tree feel at this time? Would it welcome the spring? Here is a tree talking (in my imagination, of course).

"Rain falls on my head and drips down my arms to cover my cold frozen feet with mud-filled water. Wind occasionally rips past my arms tearing away whatever I might be holding from the past fall. However, the wind is not as brisk and the sun feels warmer. Wet leaves and loose branches, left-overs from the previous fall, beat against my skin when the wind blows them about. My arms begin to warm up in the sun, though my feet are still buried in the frozen ground. Then the sun rises high in the sky drying my rain drenched skin and warming my feet. I awake from my long winter's nap to a new beginning."

Summer is a time of great warmth and beauty. The flowers bloom and the bees race about seeking their nectar. Trees sprout bright green leaves on their branches that reach higher and higher each year. The birds flock to the branches and hide in the shade of the leaves to nap or rest. What would the tree feel in the summer?

"The sun sits high in the sky as I proudly display my leaves and flowers. Birds come to visit and nap beneath my canopy of green. The heat warms me inside and takes away the feel of freezing toes and biting wind. The very air buzzes with the life of summer creatures. Water has sunk deep into the earth where my digging appendages must struggle to reach it. But the deeper my roots, the stronger I become. As the water sinks, it melts away any remaining ice. With more strength, I can grow bigger leaves and flowers that bear grand fruits. Proud and tall I stand, waving my beauty in the warm summer winds for all to see and enjoy. Insects eat some of my leaves and birds eat some of my berries, but I am glad to help them in their struggle to survive, and their waste will become my food when spring once more joins the circle."

Trees not only provide shade for all of us who don't like the hot sun but they produce oxygen by the ton. Their roots dig deep helping to prevent land slides. Some trees never loose their color (evergreens come to mind) and some trees grow better if they are kept cropped short like a bush.

Fall is the time of harvest. Though the garden vines have begun to dry up, their fruits are bright and ready for eating. The trees dress themselves in bright reds, oranges and yellows. The animals partake of the harvest as much as they can to provide food over the long winter months. So what do the trees feel?

"A crisp wind blows about me pulling at my arms and emptying my hands once more of the colorful leaves with which I have dressed. Rain falls, often with a cold icy bite that hits against my skin like tiny needles. Yet the rain is food for me and I gather the rain in my roots for the long winter that is on its way. The water often freezes at night trapping my feet beneath its icy surface till morning brings the warming sun. I feel sleepy. Each day I dig deeper for the warmth of the earth and the flow of the water. I stand tall with what is left of my beautiful colors for all to see. Leaves of other trees fly about me in twirls of bright color that land at my feet and turn brown. Seeds in the winds land around me and are buried in the bright colors. The leaves that fall will insulate my roots, and the seeds, during the cold winter. I feel the cool air and know that soon I will sleep."

Winter is cold and harsh to the plants until it finally lays a blanket of white that insulates them from the harshness. Grass, trees and flowers lay in a deep slumber until the spring begins to thaw them back into life. How does a tree feel in this harsh season?

"Snow covers the ground in a blanket of white that hides the dry grasses, frozen flowers and dried brown leaves. Sleep is welcomed. Wind whips about my arms and head which now lie bare and exposed to its harshness. The snow often covers my arms making them heavy. They droop from the weight. The ground is frozen and my roots are trapped beneath the icy white blanket and the cold, frozen earth. But I have dug my roots deeper than the freeze can reach and I am content. The brightly colored leaves that I bore in the fall are now just a memory. The cold winter winds removed all that had not yet dropped of their own accord. Though the wind is harsh, I sleep deeply and I am content in the warmth of my memories."

Do the trees feel as I have described? Who can know the thoughts and dreams of a tree that does not speak our language? But the imagination is wonderous and can give the trees and other objects a voice. What do you think the tree in your back yard is saying? I'll bet you can hear it if you listen real hard.