By Stan Sweeney
When a tree falls, forest creatures assemble in silent vigil—an ancient act of homage and respect to their dying comrade who provided shelter and sustenance for generation after generation of their kin.
They wait and observe for days or weeks until the tree relinquishes its grip on the soil and tumbles into decaying leaves, and merge with the forest floor.
Should people approach, however, the mourners flee and hide, having guarded their ceremony from human eyes for countless millennia.
The sound that each tree makes or fails to make as it hits the ground remains the greatest secret of all.
Brilliant. Absolutely perfect.
Wow. High praise indeed. Thank you so much for the comment, Tim. Genuinely appreciated
Beautiful and poignant.
Thanks, Kathy
Hello Stan,
Excellent tie-in of the title and the ending utilizing a familiar saying.
My only suggestion (although I noticed most readers do not add a critique) might be writing “in-the-moment” for a more dynamic feel; the narrative seemed to me somewhat dryly expository–this style does the reader a disservice as you have a wonderful flair for descriptive writing.
Hi Cathryn. Thanks for the comment and suggestion. Will take it on board. Guess part of the constraints of writing to such a tight word count is choosing the style/voice/mode – certainly something to keep in mind for future efforts
A beautiful tribute to the negligence of nature.
intelligence not negligence
Thanks 2912, appreciate the feedback
Superb. Reminds me “A day in the life of a tree” by Brian Wilson on the Sunflower LP. Kudos
Wow. High praise indeed. Thanks, Kevin – that means a lot to me
That is beautiful, Stan. It describes the reverence we should have for nature, but so often don’t.
Thanks Tom. Agree – nature most certainly deserves reverence and respect
Hi Stan! I quite enjoyed this one.
And didn’t feel I was done any disservice by your choice of style /wording. Apparently the editors thought it was fine as well.
Scott
Thanks Scott. Noted & appreciated!
Lovely! Enjoyed the topic and the narrative. There is a tragic beauty to this piece.
Thanks, Miera. Appreciate the feedback
Thanks Stan. Somehow I feel like I’ve waited for this piece all my life. The forest has always been my favorite. The breath of trees has always felt like a gift. We can’t live without them. Some of us know that.
Beautiful!
Yes, I agree. Good thought and story.
Beautifully told.
Beautiful. Coincidentally I am right now in a forest and we sighted a majestic tiger today (apart from other animals like deer, bison, etc). Could relate with the story