by Jill Ardary

Created on: April 06, 2009

THE TREE

You showed me a tree when I barely knew you;

"See this tree, it's beautiful isn't it?"

Yes, the tree is beautiful, but I had seen it several times before.

"The tree is beautiful isn't it? Let's climb it."

This very tree I had tried to climb before.

I had tried to pull others up the branches with me but none wanted to come.

I had tried to pull and ended up pushing to many away.

"The tree is beautiful isn't it? Come and sit on the lowest branch with me."

No one had ever invited me to sit on the branch before.

I wanted to go with you but resisted, because I was afraid of the fall.

Besides there are complications in climbing this tree I explained to you.

You understood and said we would take the climb slowly.

"The tree is beautiful isn't it? Let's climb a little higher."

Still resisting a little because I felt myself starting to fall, I climbed just a little higher.

The branches, about midway up, felt very comfortable and comforting.

I wanted to stay there for a while but, the longer I stayed the more I felt the fall.

The fall that I had been so afraid of, I actually started to enjoy.

"The tree is beautiful isn't it? Let's go to the highest branch."

The highest branch? No one had EVER asked me to go there before.

Yes, I wanted to go to the highest branch.

The feeling of the fall was beginning to thrill me.

We began climbing even faster, hesitating and stumbling only a little on the way.

Almost to the very top, the place you told me you wanted to go, I pulled you up.

Almost up.

Before reaching the top "The tree is beautiful isn't it?" I said this time.

"And I have already fallen, so I am ready to go."

And suddenly, YOU no longer wanted to climb.

Suddenly, you pushed me out of the tree.

And left me broken and bloody at the bottom.

Confused and dazed I wondered:

Did you suddenly feel the fall?

Learn more about this author, Jill Ardary.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.