tales for dreamers: the guardian tree

All the sunshine exists right behind this tree. You can catch glimpses of it from here. 

Stranded on this patch of land, where sunlight is forbidden to enter, you’ve forgotten what it’s like to be in a warm and bright place. Your entire generation has. Your children don’t even know that something called the sun exists in this world. 

But you can still see the bright light of the sun. If you try hard enough, you can still conjure up memories of laughing and playing in a land of sunshine. Although it feels like something that must have happened in another lifetime. Surely not this one?

All you need to do is go beyond the tree to the other side.

But, too bad for you, you’ve heard all the rumours, and that keeps you where you are. All that grapevine about how no one has ever gone around the tree before, how the tree gobbles up any living being who dares to come near it, how it’s best to remain safe on this side where you’ve always lived, where everyone you’ve ever known and loved has stayed put.

Your children have no such inhibitions. You’ve spared them these scary tales, and now they run towards the tree, pulled by the bright light beyond, with no fears and inhibitions to keep them from exploring.

“Stop!” you call out, but when have children ever stopped to give in to the fears of their parents? 

So they run, and you run after them.

They’re quicker, more eager. 

And you see them slip through the gap. 

Then disappear into the bright light.

The gap is so narrow, will you even be able to squeeze through?

There’s only one way to find out.

Besides, your children have gone through. 

You’ve got to follow them.

You don’t have a choice now, do you? 

Last week's image info: Somewhere on the stretch of Belvenia Rd that runs north of New St is a home on whose front lawn these 'fallen angels' appear every Christmas. They're not always fallen. They're usually upright, playing their flutes. On one of my morning walks, I found them fallen, and that inspired the tale.