The Tree
That old tree looks on to the world around as time passes by,
It can hear the beauty of the horizon as the children engage in frolic beneath.
It can see the birds fly in joy. It can taste the dusty air as the pebbles thrown by the kids-
Hit the skin, it can smell the muddy path that meanders around the bark.
It recalls in view those past times, as it hears the knell at the cemetery yonder.
It remembers all the things gone, all the years spent.
Like Socrates of Greece, it stands and wonders!
The tree is too young to leave the world. Not old at all for sure.
It was beautiful time when the couple got married, and they smiled in joy at the altar,
Shit! Times go by too soon leaving the mind wandering in the woods of life.
It has started to rain as the world feels its sorrow so well. Peace.
“যদি তোর ডাক শুনে কেউ না আশে, তবে একলা চল রে!”,
Remembers the old hag as it recollects the words said by someone long back.
Walk alone, or something of that sort, it meant.
The old tree of wisdom stands still, waiting to see death come slowly.
As the children play beneath, the tree sees impending death for them with time.
The tree just had a talk with God, He said all must end slowly. It shouted back at God,
“You! Prankster! Playing with our lives!”
Jamie could see the sadness in the eyes of the old tree. Kept quiet, as it was not to change.
A time will come when all will bite the ashes. Till then, we all will live and live and live.
We will have sorrows, we will have pain, but we will live still.
Like a sad jester we would smile as time passes by.
The tree will break this world into pieces and devour every bit of it as if being this Black Hole of destiny!!
The pebbles looked up and said in chorus, “Calm down, old tree! It’s okay to be in pain. Can we help you?”
The tree once again saw the beauty of the horizon, children playing beneath with pebbles. Life went on.
