Who was Dead?
Who was Dead?
While meditating on my porch this morning, seated facing the forest behind my house, my attention was drawn to a particular tree. It was a familiar, dead tree whose company I’ve enjoyed for the past four years. It’s entire body a single cylinder; no branches, but with a pattern of holes – a natural totem pole carved by wind, rain, moss, insects and other animals. It died before I came to know it, and it looked like it had endured many seasons. White and brittle, and having lost its bark long ago, it stuck out of the forest floor like a big gray hair among the many young, strong and supple, brown-barked trees. I had grown fond of it, witnessing its expertise in hosting mushrooms and housing many species of enterprising insect colonies. I’ve watched the dead tree serve as a playground for squirrels to climb, birds to rest their wings after a flight, and even two woodpeckers feeding each other while grasping its side. For the past four years, I’ve reveled in the beauty and bounty that this dead tree could provide for the other animals of the forest (including me!).
A self-proclaimed steward of this forest, I often walk the ground looking for ways to support the trees, sometimes having to decide which ones should be taken down if they appear to be a potential danger to the wellbeing of my house – a very practical yet selfish assessment. Today was the day I looked at this dead cylinder, wondering if – or when – it might be time to take it down.
Immediately, my eyes were pulled to something incredible. There, stemming from the very center of the trunk was a long branch, covered in bright lush green leaves! It burst out of the side of the original trunk - big and strong and vibrant. It had literally grown from the center of the trunk, and was as tall as the original growth! Its leaves and branches extended twelve feet above ground, and wide enough to easily shade a very large picnic table.
How the heck did I not see this before? How long has this tree been alive? I got up and walked toward it to get a closer look. The leaves told me that it was a Black Oak; the tree of strength, endurance and longevity. In Druid tradition, the Black Oak is a symbol of wisdom.
Who has been dead all this time?