By Shakunthala Natarajan
Swoosh… with one gentle stroke of wind,
I fell on the ground from my mother.
As I lay there basking in the sun,
and enjoying my status as an independent being,
I was suddenly pushed into darkness.
I looked up and was covered by soil,
tears welled up in my eyes.
But mama consoled me.
Stroking me with her soft roots,
she said “Have patience and endure. You will become a strong green tree just like me.”
I accepted and marched on…
My coat slowly opened up,
I was tickled by the coarse soil grains.
I started to feel at ease.
Life under the soil was not as frightening.
Surrounded by my microbe friends and insect visitors,
I was always amidst a party!
But soon, I started experiencing severe pain.
I was no more the same plump naïve seed.
I had a strange protruding trying to peep out of me.
I felt the end was near.
But my mother said “Have patience and endure. You are going to come out of the soil and become a teen!”
I accepted and marched on…
Teen life was awesome!
I had become beautiful with a slender waist called stem,
and was dressed up fashionably in spectacular green by my flappy leaves.
Soon I started getting decorated with tiny ornaments called flowers.
I hosted nectar parties and danced freely to the breeze tunes.
However, life comes with its own set of problems right?
I had mine too.
I used to feel very hot during the day and started shivering at night.
Although the rains sustained me, they gave me a bad cold as well!
I complained and whined.
But my mother said “Have patience and endure. You must stand tall through difficulties. After all you are meant to be a tree.”
I got irked, like all teens do,
but I accepted and marched on…
I eventually became a strong adult tree.
Standing there next to mother,
I was a dashing figure with a sturdy stem.
Broad leafy branches buttressed my strength.
Towering over every being in existence,
I felt I had conquered the world.
Even then, mother was above everything.
She was my superwoman,
my strength and my role model.
I was close to mama.
I could see her all day long.
Standing there tall and strong,
undeterred by the polluted winds choking her,
unmindful of the scorching heat,
filled with unwavering sincerity and purpose,
she stood there as a protector of life,
as a shelter to tired humans,
as a philanthropist beyond imagination,
she gave oxygen,
she gave food and medicine,
never expecting anything in return.
I was in awe of her vacation-less job.
I asked, “Ma! Can’t we take a break for some time?”
She mildly laughed at me,
caressing me with one of her long branches,
mother said “My child. Be responsible. We are trees. We can’t enjoy ourselves by making others suffer. Have patience and endure.”
I accepted and marched on…
All was well until the doom day arrived.
The sky became shrouded in whirls of heavy dust.
I could not see anything.
There were deafening noises all around.
I could sense heightened activity and human voices escalating.
I was scared to death.
I searched frantically for my mother.
I desperately wanted to hold her hands tightly and feel safe.
I could not get her.
I felt strange and confused.
Gradually, everything settled and calmed down.
As I tried to look through the rubble around,
my heart froze.
There she was,
lying flat on the ground and looking enervated.
Her mighty arms spread all over, looking listless,
mother was trying to move towards me,
to embrace her child for one last time,
to bid the final goodbye,
and to complete her last responsibility as a mother.
I could sense her.
She was trying to whisper something to me.
I bent down and wanted to clasp her.
I wanted to save her somehow.
I suddenly felt breathless like a fish thrown out of water.
She said “My child. My end is here. But you have a great mission upon you. Do your job diligently. Have patience and endure…”
Those were her last words.
This time, I accepted but could not march on.
My resilient caretaker and life-giver cracked down and gave up her life.
She was dragged onto a vehicle and disposed of.
I wanted to chase the destroyers and keep my mother with me forever.
Anger seethed inside me,
I felt empty inside out.
I wanted to cry and shout.
Alas I was a tree, as mother used to say,
I stood rooted to the ground,
doing my job duty-bound,
as a mere witness to the cruelty meted out to her.
A monstrous skyscraper has replaced my mother’s place now.
Birds and insect visitors have greatly reduced in numbers.
Vehicle honks and jarring music have taken over the bird melodies.
I find it difficult to breathe.
I am slowly losing my will to live and march on.
I try to pick myself up every day to fulfil my mother’s work.
But every time I try, I fail.
I still continue to stand here as a mere witness.
As a mere witness to greed and exploitation,
as a mere witness to ungratefulness and wastefulness,
as a mere witness to the uncertain future of the world…