A Soliloquy on a Tree
By –Timothy Haystubble
(Grass Roots Philosopher)
A small seed fell by the wayside.
In it there appeared to be no sign of Life or Miracle.
It was smooth and round and brown.
The warm rains came. The sun shone forth.
Potential Life became manifest in its tiny shell.
In its own good time, the seed grew larger.
Momentarily two small leaves peeped forth; then root threads.
The leaves groped for the pure, warm air,
While the rootlets wormed into the cool, sweet earth.
The air was kind and the earth was friendly.
In the fullness of time, the leaves gave place to stock and branches.
These branches bore a host of other leaves.
The root-threads drew upon the soil for food and drink.
Accordingly as was designed in there genes,
These root-threads grew and multiplied,
Sending forth many rootlets,
So that they might assist in the growth of a noble creation.
The stock waxed strong and became a trunk.
The branches grew into limbs,
Bearing other lesser branches and twigs.
Some of the twigs, in their turn,
Bore leaves, while others
Gave forth scented blossoms,
And in season bore fruit.
So it was this tiny seed, having fulfilled its purpose,
Empowered by that Great Spirit,
Became a tree, in every detail as was planned.
It was seen that each of her individual parts
Had developed in gradual stages,
From a lesser unit, as the need arose
To serve a larger purpose;
And that these smaller units were all co-related
So that they might be of service, one to the other.
Each was of little service unto itself alone.
This relationship pervades through the completed whole,
So that this whole might function as an element
In the whole co-related scheme of Creation.
When all was completed,
It was seen that this Creation,
This tree, as in each of her parts,
Was responsive to and responsible
For her environment.
In her cool shade,
Weary travelers paused for rest
And were refreshed.
Small boys loved to climb into her great branches.
Cattle cropped the luscious, green grass
Growing about her protective trunk.
In her leafy branches song birds nested.
And black squirrels played and courted.
By day
The silvery, green leaves
Shimmered in the sunlight.
They became her as a delight
To all who looked upon her
In admiration and wonder.
When the rains came
They dealt with her kindly.
To caress and buffet alike, she responded and seemed even grander.
In truth she grew more awesome and beautiful.
At night, the stars winked down,
While moonbeam sprites danced among her tresses.
In the autumn,
Her leaves were painted and scattered about the ground, to be played with by child and wind.
Finally they were left to lie, as a blanket about her feet.
Then, As a last resort, the ever resourceful Nature
Converted them into food for her and her kind.
Thus with herself, her leaves and her fruit
She gave to others additional life and enjoyment,
Leaving herself seemingly spent, but yet a nobler creation.
Thus in all of Nature, we find a co-relation-
A linking up of one unit with another unit
In order to form a larger scheme.
As planned, all units became interdependent.
No one unit was to function without an effect
On the rest of Nature.
As in Nature, so in the affairs of mankind,
All things start from small beginnings.
A spark of an idea, for example, grows and develops,
Gathering unto itself many influences and suggestions
Which all link together in an ordered plan
In order to form a co-related whole.
The whole of life is an aggregate
Of co-related units.
Whatever we do, think or say,
Not only affects the growth of ourselves,
But also the growth of countless neighbours.
Our thoughts therefore,
Should in the ultimate be concerned about
The Good and Welfare of others.
All of our doing should be
Done in other’s interest as well as our own.
These and other lessons
We can find in Nature around us.
Do we care to look?
Ken Muma