If Tall Trees Could Talk

If tall trees could talk, what would they say? If tall				free the slaves and how if given a chance he would
trees could talk, I don't know about you but I would				take his own brothers life. Another soldier spoke of
get a little nervous and a little curious. Oh, and that				his hatred for dark skinned people and if given his
reminds me of my nervous, curious day in the midst				chance he would murder the first he found. Another
of a great wise oak. Listen.				soldier lye dying at my very trunk, near your sitting.
One day I went out to play after lunch and you				He bled from a wound in battle and cried out in
would not believe what happened. As I sat at the				agony. That morning he died and his fellow soldiers
base of a very large, broad oak tree; I heard a noise.				cried. As they moved to their next positions, I
It was not just any noise, but a voice. This voice				thought the taller and greater I grew the more
was soft but increased with every creak and wind				human blood ran through my roots. It seemed that
whistling leaf on each branch. It was as if the wind				my growth could not catch the larger darkness
blew across the wind pipe of a centuries old wood				growing in such a world where beauty was surely
flute. As I placed my ear closer to the tree trunk I				possible. As the wind blew in those horrific years we
sensed a sound of sarcasm as the tree directly				trees prayed with every wind, that the war would
asked If I was comfortable lying on his favorite right				end; and the captive would be free. We trees could
root. I of course was dumbfounded but could only				not hold another life upon our branch as instruments
answer "well yes I believe I am." Nervously I stepped				of murder. In a flicker of hope that war did end and
back. At that very moment an acorn as if sent by				legally those dark skinned people were physically free.
the big oak himself fell to the ground only to hit me				As with any evil plan however; the murder of those
squarely in the head. "Ahhw" I exclaimed! Then a				people would not end until more blood was shed.
voice immediately asked me to sit down and relax				Can you hear that train in the distance? "Sure I
and to prepare for a lengthy story. I decided to sit				exclaimed, it comes through town three times a day,
down; after all, trees do not usually speak in terms				morning, noon and night." Yes, that's correct but, do
such as this for a human to understand. Regardless, I				you know why it comes? Rooted here I watched
was intrigued and willing to gain valuable knowledge				those railroad tracks become reality. Men dreamed it
from this oak of ages; and I was able and willing to				and then built it; most however were not the light
listen to what the tree was needing to tell me.				skinned men I once spoke of, but a people the white
The winds suddenly picked up and the large oak				men called yellow. Yellow men as often called, did
exclaimed, "Thank you for taking time to sit down				build that railroad. I witnessed it. Pounding, sweating,
and listen." "Most people today do not listen!" "Do you				bleeding and working all hours of the day and night.
realize I have sat growing here in this soil for four				They as others were also treated less than dogs or
hundred and forty two years and you are the first?"				animals. Yet they built so much, assisted with so
"Call it luck, call it fate, say your gifted, say whatever				many in these lands, and as the others, were also
you want, but you seem to hear my words and this				murdered and exploited for who they were. So, as
is my moment as well as yours." I was truly surprised				those people of color yet feared for their security
to say the least, and of course excited to gain the				and lives, as with industrialization and technology did
insight and wisdom one could learn from such a				the oaks, maples, pines and birch also insecurely exist.
timeless opportunity, so I told the oak to tell me				I witnessed a reflection of those people of colors
more!"				lives within the lives of my fellow trees.
"I wanted you to know, said the oak", that four and				The fight for freedom for those dark and yellow
a half centuries ago, as a little acorn I fell from an				skinned people continued, as well as for others.
oak tree much smaller than myself that sat directly				"Remember those red skinned people I spoke of
where that highway runs now. It was quite a drop,				earlier?" "Yes I remember", well they continued in
about thirty or forty feet I guess. Interestingly				their struggles among these lands. I remember for
enough I landed on the head of a person much				some years many of those peoples children were
different than those of today! He wore some leather,				taken away. They were gathered as fresh kindling
feathers and had some what red skin. It was a much				wood for a fire. A fire that would burn down so
simpler time and nearly all of the people, although				many of those peoples lives. After taking these
very few, seemed to hear everything we trees said.				children from their parents, I remember the light
When they listened we felt safe. When they listened				skinned men marching these children from school to
we could rely on our survival. As a matter of fact,				school just beyond the distance of this forest. I could
that young red skinned person of ages ago planted				barely gain a glimpse, however; that was enough. I
me not far from the tree on this exact spot in which				could hear those men telling those children to be
I root! He took the time to place me for living...he				someone they were not. The light skinned men
took time for nature in giving. So, instead of simply				shaved the children's heads and beat them regularly.
becoming a squirrel's lunch, here I am centuries later;				When they were finished years later, I was still
a pillar in your neighborhood; a fortunate survivor of				there, but the children were not. They were an
industrialization and expansion! "Wow I exclaimed, I				empty shell; grown to a world in which no one
never realized your journey." "Tell me more!" Well, as				accepted them. Even their own mothers and fathers
I said before there were many friendly people living in				disowned them. In the end many did not need a rope
this area for centuries. They were very quiet and				and tree by white men to remove their lives; the
lead simple lives. One thing I always remembered is				teachings were enough and many died at the hands
that they always gave back when they took				of themselves years later; entrophy was their end.
something from us trees, from animals or anything				Before we knew it, small strange moving vehicles
else for that matter. We were secure in that				that people rode from place to place arrived. Not long
relationship. As time moved on however things				after, the execution of my fellow trees became wide
changed. Everything changed. First, other people				spread. Path after path, and a poisoning fog
began moving in near my forest. Always making loud				occasionally set in along with a sickened rain that
noises. Their skin was a lighter white color and they				wilted my leaves. We trees choked with concern,
did not speak or act the same. Although many				fearing for our lives. Before long, housing and industry
seemed very nice; some were not. These people did				became wide spread. Some how we trees sensed
not get along well with those who had lived so many				that these buildings and other contraptions were our
peaceful years in my forest. I myself witnessed				own brothers taken away to only be destroyed and
many treaties and peace agreements between these				compressed into something the lighter skinned people
new lighter skin people and the red skin people.				deemed more useful; and so it also was for those
These agreements never held; many continued to				people of color.
perish among the forest floor to sickness and				Within my last one hundred rings I was overwhelmed
disagreement. The red skinned people were				with grief. There was a great war; greater than any
executed for my forest; how sad we were and the				man at that time had ever experienced. In your
willows wept. It seemed to some that the forest				neighborhood so many men left, and so many did not
was worth killing for. So for decades they fought to				walk back. Behind me is a cemetery in which so
a bloody end. Eventually the lighter skinned people				many men returned in what some call a box.
took over and expanded. I was just a small tree at				Not long after, another war even worse than before
the time and can only remember trying to survive				began. It was so horrific, that the men were gone
the cold winters. I seen many of those lighter skinned				for so long and most women had to work. People
people die to cold and starvation; but they kept				put yellow ribbons around my fellow oaks and took
coming. I witnessed many of my oak, maple, birch				them down when the men returned. Fortunately,
and pine brothers cut from the living soil. They were				while the men were gone, woman proved they could
stacked neatly on four sides and the people lived				work and make a living in order to survive; this fed
within their structure. Some called them homes; I				the self that starved. When the men did come home;
called them a dark destiny. Many of us were also				a large celebration took place, however all was not
burned alive to sustain these foreign visitors, and with				well.
every chop or saw tooth scream, I shrieked.				Years later, the very dark skinned people began to
Years later, the lighter skinned people carved				have some victories as well as other people of color.
pathways through my family and friends and began				I could hear them down the newly paved road, yards
riding horses through them. How violated we felt as				from my roots. I overheard one man state that a
so helpless to do nothing; our security lost. Soon				man named Mr. Brown went to court vs. the
enough there was much yelling and scuffle over				Department of Education to fight for his colored
something called taxation without representation; and				daughters right to attend a school in her rightful area.
then chaos erupted. Disregard for life as if I had				Mr. Brown won and I heard the cheers across many
never seen. Many in red and those in blue fought for				hill sides. Even more as a fire storm, victory set off
my forest. So many men died in my forest. The very				an exuberating movement. It was not long, and
buzzards and birds that lived on my branches now				many began to march down your street beneath my
scoured the battle fields of death for a morbid meal.				branches and scars where years earlier some one
How sad it was to see so many dead. Lives once				was hanged. They would carry signs and chant
again snuffed over disagreement. Their blood drained				statements of unity and anger. There was a
unto the ground and made my leaves wilt. "I was				wonderful sound of hope in their voice. Especially, one
disturbed by what I heard, but to think of such				man who had a dream. Some one murdered that
circumstance took place right outside my home and I				man as so many before. His dream however did not
never realized its existence!" "Go on I stated, tell me				die with him.
more big oak!"				Furthermore, I have seen so much. Each family or
Well, some years later something terrible happened.				person who has moved in this forest turned
Although I had seen some people who were very				neighborhood. I have witnessed the circumstances of
dark in skin color, as they grew in numbers they				dividing families, growing children and the death and
began to be treated even worse. They were treated				creation of other families. It never ends, and with this
less than white skin peoples dogs. With a birds eye				never ending cycle I have witnessed the cycle of not
view I pierced through my forest over to a large				appreciating or loving others. Nature has been ignored.
planted field in which those dark skinned people were				As time moves forward, what will be of me or
whipped and beat as they worked in the scorching				others? Will those who have been persecuted for so
sun. I was so caught in emotion, I sought to cover				long ever be loved? Today, I see so much
them with my branch for a shady rest. I was				hopelessness, so much despair. When even the most
restrained only by my planted roots; but within				vulnerable; woman, children and those veterans who
myself an angry creak lye waiting. One night, I heard				fight your wars are disregarded and homeless! If
dogs barking across the foggy field. They came				living is only just for ones self, we are doomed.
closer as if to chase a coon. They however were				In the distance I could hear my mother calling me for
not chasing coons or any animals for that matter; but				dinner. I jumped up, wiped my eyes and brushed off
a dark skinned man. Behind him were white men with				my bottom. "Thank you oak, for your stories, I
flickering torches in the night and a scowl of hatred				exclaimed" I reached over and picked up that acorn
among their faces. With such nerve, among the				that hours ago had landed on my head. I found a
shining moon they captured that man and made an				shallow area near by with room to grow. I planted
attempt to hang him upon my branch. I could not				the acorn in dark soil, and as I covered it I thought
stand for such murder. As they tied the rope around				of the future, the centuries ahead, and how much I
my branch and removed the horse beneath his legs I				had grown today by listening. What would this acorn
held him for only a moment. When the men and dogs				say of me, of this time and the scenes it may
left; I broke my branch. After a moderate amount of				capture as a big oak? Will others even allow it to
choking, that dark skin man ran free. I realized,				grow to tell stories in which must be told? I am
physically he was temporarily free; but in his mind and				unsure. However, I must take action. I must do my
the minds of others he would continue to struggle				part in giving nature a chance at living, and a chance
for his freedom. If you look hard you can still see the				at telling... if others will listen. As I walked up to my
scar I have from that broken branch from years				porch and into my home I heard a thunderous sound.
past. Remember carefully friend; scars always remain				It was as if the sky was falling; but it was something
when evil men mingle.				greater. That great oak had fallen across the nearby
It was not long before a man by the name of				highway halting traffic in a jam never known possible.
Abraham Lincoln did his best to free those dark skin				It was as if that mighty oak had finally spoken. He
people. So much so, the bloodiest war yet erupted. It				had left his mark in time; he had relinquished his
was simply a war over right and wrong; but would				feelings to lay himself down as so many other lives
not be so simple. We as trees however; maple, oak,				he had witnessed in his timeless existence who had
pine or birch could only watch in dismay. Canons,				also fallen. The natural process as he knew would
horses, soldiers of blue and gray. They fought and				finally speak; the great oak could not be restrained.
died; woman and children cried. It was awful. "In				He was as to say; stop your blind progress and
listening to big oaks story, I was in tears, and could				know that I exist, that the past exist and the horror
hardly utter a word to the big oak." "What next I				must be confessed to prevent the wretched end of
strained to ask." Well, one early evening a squad of				others and even yourselves.
soldiers tied their shelter to my trunk. They sat				These are my final words.
amongst a camp fire; with darkened words I heard.				Copyright2006/ - By L. J. Riley Jr.
One soldier spoke about his brother who fights to

Maggies Toronto

If Tall Trees Could Talk