My Writing

Am I a Tree

Rachel Sandell

They say if a tree falls

in the forest and no one’s there

to hear it,

then it doesn’t make a

sound.

I see so many of my brethren here.

Tall evergreens,

never-fading beauty,

strong, sturdy trunks

and branches fit for nests.

Apple trees offer delicious fruit,

redwood growing

to enormous size,

big enough to drive a car

through the opening in its roots.

From the receptionist’s office,

I see my brethren in abundance.

Their leaves turn gold in the fall

and scatter the ground

with brilliant red, rustic brown, lively yellow.

I don’t need to see their roots

to know how deep they reach.

It’s proof enough that they stand

firm

in a windstorm.

I sit in my pot

and ponder this.

I sit in Styrofoam dirt

and wish that

I too had roots.

I too would stretch my branches to the storm,

but the wind would snap the plastic.

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Photo by veeterzy on Unsplash

Published by Rachel Sandell

Rachel Sandell is a writer and editor from Washington State, where rainy days necessitate long books, hot chocolate, and plenty of magic. Though she specializes in speculative fiction and harbors a love for the dark and enchanting, she also dabbles in poetry and is the archive project coordinator for Fireweed: Poetry of Oregon. She is an MFA graduate from the Rainier Writing Workshop, and her short stories have appeared in SORTES magazine, Night Picnic Press, and Leading Edge magazine.