Black Coffee and Grey Stories

Have you ever seen a fallen tree?

No, you must have, it is too massive to be ignored

But have you really Seen it?

Bruised and naked lying on the ground that once was its home

Roots spread out like a giant Octopus

With its insides exposed, for the world to judge

Uprooted at its prime

By the fierce winds and persistent raindrops

Each hitting like a hard rock

You can see the tree is gnarled and splintered,

Missing its leaves

The ones that could not bear the pain and had to let go

Its hollowness now a home for little things

You can see a squirrel running up and down the trunk

Maybe she remembers it from old days and has come by to say ‘hello!’

Have you ever wondered what must have happened?

This isn’t the first storm it has witnessed. But the last one before it finally gave up.

Living through dark and cold storms

With Lightening and Thunder feeling like salt on old wounds

Branches giving up for the sake of the tree

But this time, they did not breakdown alone

The tree tried to do what it knew best

To Stand tall and hold onto the roots

But in the end the Violent Storm won

Fallen, not far from where it grew up from a small and determined seed

Not yet ready to give up the old home

Now the tree lays still

Soft breeze blows over blanketing its painful existence

Last few leaves too will fall off

But the tree will still be there

Maybe as a bridge for little ones to cross over,

And maybe this time the footsteps will be gentle walking all over it

Or will become a peaceful place to rest the wandering mind

Or as a fallen piece of beauty to be admired for years to come

Not too far from where it once stood tall and green.

Until its withered body becomes the soil that once nurtured it.

Have you ever really seen a fallen tree?

I am that tree…….