A small acorn falls to the ground
In a quiet forest.
An oak is born,
he slowly rises and develops,
and is captured in awe at the world around him.
He learns to grow and bask in the sun,
which shines through his taller brothers’ leaves.
He begins to bear food for his friends
who live in his young branches,
and the deer and spiders smile up at him
as they rest in his shade.

Yet a low rumble begins to grow in the distance,
and his friends are frightened away.
The deer and spiders don’t rest in his shade
and his friends don’t take his food anymore.

The noise grows louder and closer
and he looks to his older brothers for questions.
But before they can answer,
one by one he hears their branches snap.
Their roots lose their grip in the cold soil,
which they always called home.
The sun becomes easier to feel for the young oak,
and a sharp pain is felt at his feet
as his brothers crash around him,
screaming and tearing their way to the ground.
He feels his own roots snap
and his branches crack on the cold hard ground.
The warmth of the sun begins to fade
while the sharp pain is felt splitting him apart,
and another small acorn falls to the ground
in a quiet forest.