by Melvin Barella

Created on: June 13, 2008

The old Cotton wood tree shadowing my life, and that of my front yard. When I was a child I used to live at the end of the block where once stood an old tall Cotton wood tree. This tree would reach high into the sky and its many limbs, which seemed like arms reached high into the sky. I always loved that cotton wood tree. In the spring it gave us white fluffy cotton that appeared to be like snow when it covered the ground. That old cotton wood tree appeared to be alive and would look at me as if to say, I am watching over you. Many times it seemed like it had huge eyes wide open looking around the yard and looking after Grandma when she would work in her garden and water her beautiful flowers offer shelter and support the our family. My uncle was a very mean and unhappy man and was not to nice to Grandma. When uncle would get mean the old cottonwood tree would wave its limbs as if to say stop and it seemed to scare my uncle and he would calm down as if he was aware of what the old tree was trying to say. It always sheltered us from the snow and the rain as if it was our guardian.

As I grew it seemed like the old tree would always stay the same with tall gnarled bark reaching up to the sky. When I was happy I would talk to my cotton wood tree and when I was sad I would cry to my Cotton wood tree. No matter the occasion it was always their looking down on me. The tree had its personality, in the winter it would loose its leaves and in the spring it would start creating new buds, and in the summer it would be full and covered with green leaves. How I loved that tree, I think what made it so special was that it towered over our house and that of Grandma's house. Grandma was very special and it seemed like they were, the same with wrinkled old skin and a smile wide as the summer sky. I guess I would always think of them in the same way. One day Grandma became ill and I was so scared we were going to lose her. I sat at the base of that old tree and I prayed that grandma would be ok. That old tree seemed to hug me as if to tell me everything would be all better and grandma was going to be a better place where she would be happy and young again. After we lost Grandma,I would sit and talk to my old cotton wood tree. I knew that someday I would also lose my old Cotton wood tree. The day did come as suspected and the old cottonwood tree started to get old and the branches started to crack and the wind would blow the branches away. I knew that some day my old Cotton wood tree would die and would also be in a better place like Grandma and they are both young and happy again. I still long for both of them and they know that deep in my heart, I loved them both.

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