A vast forest speaks to me.
Pulchritudinous trees, shrubs, and flowers.
Even the weeds are beautiful,
beautifully entertaining.
The largest tree of them all is fearful.

What has it to fear?
It can see from city to city for miles.
It hears the sounds of the earth clearly.
It can even see itself in a mirror of waves,
and in turn can be certain of it’s existence.
Regardless, it is fearful.
In retrospect, people have tried to cut it.
Not only it’s branches, or it’s leaves.
Everything belonging to the largest tree was in peril.
Even it’s thick trunk was at risk.
There is one that wants it to remain rooted.

But, the largest tree is still fearful.
It does not want that one person to expand.
It does not want the human to want other trees to be rooted,
or to assist those others in remaining so.

The tallest tree pleads:
“Don’t chop me down, please.
Oh don’t let them lean towards you,
For they WILL lean towards the sun, and you are my only sun!
It’s inevitable. One day, oh one day, I won’t be enough shade for you.
You’ll sit under the others and read your books, write your words,
whatever you do. Even if you do leave me, human, don’t chop me down.
I’ll do that myself.”

“I could never…”

The human was confused.
The tree was clearly superior to all others.
So, the human climbed.
Climbed and climbed to the very top of that tree.
From the peak, it all made sense.
Down in the shimmering water was a distorted image.
The largest tree had been looking at itself as if it were the smallest.

“I wish you could see what I see.”