To Be a Tree

(Suitable nature music plays in the background. A seed breaks through the ground and stretches feebles shoots toward the life-giving sun)

Wow, isn't life fantastic! Feel that sun! And the water in the ground, wow, it feels soooo good. I'm growing, I'm alive. Hi breeze, you feel great! Let me sway a bit in you? Aaah. Sunshine, you are so warm!

Wow, I grew up a lot. Its wonderful to be a tree and to feel the sun. I'm sheltering all sorts of birds and animals in my limbs too, not to mention the insects! I'm strong, I'm soooo alive! Basking in life! Wow!

Here comes a human! Hi, want to climb me? Want to tie some rope round my limbs and make a swing for your child? I don't mind, life is good! What's… that? Chainsaw? What's that for… AAAAAAAAAARRRRGG OH MY GOD YOU'RE CUTTING ME IN HALF AAAAAARGH I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS OH MY GOD I CAN'T FEEL MY ROOTS ANY MORE AAAAAAAAAAAARRR I'M FALLING AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRR

Oh God what have you done to me, you've cut off my roots, felled me! I'm dying, I can feel it! Can't feel the sun anymore… what are you putting me on that truck for, can't you leave me alone? No maybe you'll take me to a tree hospital, why have you done this to me…?

WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING!? SO MANY TEETH, SO NOISY!! I'm moving along this belt thing, I can't sway out the way ITS GONNA CHEW ME UP INTO A MILLION PIECES OH MY GOOOOOOOO…

Somehow I still have consciousness. What are you dumping all the pieces of me into this tank and drowning them!? That bleach stings! OUCH! And AAAARGH crushing me as well!? I'm WHAT now? Paper!? Toilet paper!? What's that? You're putting me on a roll and hanging me on the wall in a small room…

OH MY GOD NO NO NO NO I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE GONNA RUB ME ALL OVER THAT NO NO NO NO…

Darkness. Smelly dank fetid water everywhere. Millions of crushed remnants of other trees… So this is the rest of my life is it? From beautiful forest glen to black-as-night sewer…

How could you do this to me?

Link
Planet Ark National Tree Day, 30th July 2006