Trees. Many don’t even give them a passing glance. Although they’re always there, trees are always watching out for those dependent on them. In a way, they’re like one’s mother, providing shelter, comfort, and food to those around them, and getting no thanks in return. The heart of the forest is tangled in a hub of twigs, branches, and shrubs.

A treasure of the forest, rightfully calming and therapeutic.

All organisms of life depend on trees for a variety of reasons. Whether that means being a refugee on a stormy day, or providing bark for deer to eat in the winter. Trees supply us with a never-ending amount of food and oxygen,  yet we cut them down without a second thought when they become an inconvenience to our everyday lives. The fruits of its labor now are nothing but a mere shed, destroying the homes of the residents who once had kin living there. 

Imagine the chirps of the newly-born fowl, who nestle against each other in an effort to keep warm in the nest provided by their loving parents. Squirrels, nature’s gardeners, plant acorns in the ground to store, only to forget them later. Growing more and more trees, that will soon serve as servants for the rest of the animal kingdom. The humming of the bees as they fly around the woods, pollinating the surrounding crops and flowers. The soft, delicate petals of the flowers, smelled ever so sweet and exotic. The bees watch them as they blossom, so they too, can provide food for the hungry. Creating their remarkably sweet honey, which resembles the shimmering of liquid gold, and recreating the taste of beautifully sweet and sticky nectar. The sound of the water, trickling off of their vibrant leaves. Every noise comes together, to create the sound of nature. All the life inhabiting the heart of the forest, every organism trying to survive, to live their best life, only to be chopped down in place of a sidewalk. A sidewalk that will end up forgotten about in the future, just as the tree was. Now ending the melody that once surrounded it.

Ecosystems can’t thrive without their heart, the main thing that nurtures the body of the forest. The heart is the glue that holds everything together. Hoping to see us live and grow as an organism, even when having to tolerate the pain that comes with it. The stabbing of the woodpecker against its oh-so-precious trunk. Unable to move, having to keep silent, letting this torture happen.

Keep dear the effort and love that trees give. After all, they’re the ones who lay out their life for us to grow and prosper.