Redwood and the Parasites

Redwood

I am a redwood tree, forest ruler supreme.

With branches so tall, they scrape the sky,

And leaves so green, they’ll make you colorblind.

Oak

My friend Oak, was second best.

He was taller than the rest,

But was still shorter than me.

He is considered tall, at least for a tree.

Apple

Apple was busy mother, constantly growing seeds.

Despite her difficult schedule, she always helped friends in need.

She transported her children through the local airlines,

By placing them inside fruit.

The birds of the sky,

delivered the seeds,

spreading her posterity.

Maple

Maple’s chill, she goes with the flow, although reluctantly.

She likes to play all sorts of games

With her maple leaf.

She abides by the rules, and plays fair.

But isn’t good at sports.

We don’t know if she knows this,

But we’d rather her not compete.

Spruce

Spruce is a nice guy, except for when he’s mean.

The problem is that he has a tendency,

To always be rude, and angry.

He thinks he’s better than anyone else,

Because of his special leaves.

He mocks us in winter, when leaves all fall, cause he’s an evergreen.

Redwood

I’m a Redwood, tall and proud,

And I speak reverently,

Because all of my friends I’ve talked about,

Have all recently deceased.

I’m a Redwood with a warning.

There is a war, a war against life itself.

A war between Nature and some overambitious apes.

They stormed into our forest and started killing trees.

My friends were killed and tortured.

Oak was chopped into tools.

A bucket to hold Maple’s sap,

A sprocket to suck it out, and an axe to later chop down Maple, Spruce, and Peach.

Maple had her lifeblood sucked from her xylem through a sprocket made from Oak’s corpse.

Then she was felled to the Earth, and burned alive.

Peach had her children taken from her and made into slaves.

Then when she failed to make fruit on time, she was burned and razed.

I was certain I was next, but I was saved by season’s change.

Winter came, with storms of snow, scaring the pests into their homes.

But in mid-winter, what surprise!

They Humans came, from over the ice!

They carried axes, set for death.

Wearing the coats grown for others, as their own.

This was terrible sight, forlorn to behold.

I was struck with fear, death foretold.

But it wasn’t me they were going for.

My friend Spruce wasn’t always very kind,

But even I didn’t think it was fair for him to die.

Their hypocritical cheer as they whacked him to death.

“For the Holiday of Giving, we do take this tree as a gift.”

How can they give another’s life as a gift?

How can they give away, something that isn’t theirs?

The next Summer, was to be my last.

They came in numbers I dared not count.

And their weapons… I dared not think of their origins.

For I believe if I were to ponder such thoughts,

The very idea would kill me.

Barbarians were charging at me from all angles, each yelling their battle cry.

“WAR!”

Then,

They were upon me.

But, they didn’t attack me?

They didn’t even seem to notice me.

I watched at first with surprise which was soon replaced with horror.

Their weapons of war, were not meant for me

But rather they were for others of their own kind.

Utter Chaos!

As each one struck another, without a moment's hesitation.

Why were they fighting? What could this possibly achieve.

Wait...No...It can’t be!

They wage war on life itself.

Their life, they plan to destroy it.

But even if I could, I would not stop them.

These parasites needed to die. If they continued to live,

Then they would continue to kill, until all life was destroyed.

Then they would die of lack of all things necessary.

Lack of air, food, clean water, shelter, soil, and beauty.

I am Redwood Tree,

and if you listen closely,

My rustling leaves

may whisper my story to the breeze.

This tale tells why my wood is red