Old Tree

On By granonineIn Friday Fictioneers, Word Press Challenges

PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook

“They say it was a lightning bolt that dug in and burned straight through to the ground.”

“Well, it’s certainly unique.  Amazing the old tree survived.”

“I didn’t,” brooded Old Tree. “My carcass is still standing, but my heart is gone. You just aren’t seeing it clearly. And it wasn’t lightning. It was a cannonball shot during your Civil War. Never understood how any war can be civil. You humans are a strange lot.

“Birds and squirrels still use me, but my heart is dead. One of these days I’ll topple, and you’ll see.”

48 thoughts on “Old Tree”

  4. True story. Many years ago, I used to work at the local HP complex in Boise. My team’s supervisor took us out for an expensive lunch across town one day. There was a thunderstorm and we saw an exceptionally strong lightning strike right were HP was, though at that distance we couldn’t be sure.

    We got back and saw that lightning did indeed strike, splitting a large tree completely in two.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  10. I recall the Guns N’Roses song ‘Civil War’ which ends exactly with the same quote – ‘ What’s Civil about wars anyway?’ Love the way you have given a personality to the old tree. Good writing, Linda.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. I can almost sense old man willow from the fellowship of the ring…

    “none were more dangerous than the Great Willow; his heart was rotten, but his strength was green; and he was cunning, and a master of winds, and his song and thought ran through the woods on both sides of the river. His grey thirsty spirit drew power out of the earth and spread like fine root-threads in the ground, and invisible twig-fingers in the air, till it had under its dominion nearly all the trees of the Forest from the Hedge to the Downs.”

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

Leave a comment