The Bench

Photo and story by Mark Renz

Kaplunk! I was dropped here as a seed by something with wings or hooves or claws I really don't remember Or perhaps I landed after hearing that soothing wind instrument forced through forgiving leaves Whoosh...whoosh...whoosh... rocking the branches of my mother tree Disperse! Disperse! The chorus sang Followed by a quiet stillness as I felt alone and vulnerable and no longer connected I recall my puny size as I held my ground while just a common seed and -- after several attempts of pushing through a blanket of matted grasses and fungi... I finally sprouted a thin and flexible trunk and drank in the morning dew I soon found a friend... a pine sapling and a shrub of saw palmetto and we waved at each other on windy days and shivered together on cooler nights Springs and summers came and went while my tender branches added length and my trunk added girth Robins begin to explore my hidden cavities and contemplate raising a family Dew was not enough to quench my thirst I needed rain and it poured My leaves sprouted and multiplied Star-shaped bromeliads become cisterns, trapping water for visitors who flew over and crawled in and whose lives were as brief as a setting sun I realized and appreciated my good fortune and prosperity And below ground the music returned! I could feel it first in my roots a heavy bass...trombones... a soothing cello...slow, deliberate And the sounds reverberated up my trunk then spread to my branches and the leaves sang sweetly... Whoosh...whoosh...whoosh Disperse! Disperse! Kaplonk! Kaplonk! Kaplonk! More saplings and grandsaplings! My family grew tall and traveled to other fields beyond my reach... Everyone began to look up to me and leaned on me for support By then I had become a habitat and shade for scores of woodland creatures Reaching maturity in my third century and feeling as if I was on top of the world No one was stronger, no one more flexible No one happier or more sure of purpose And for what seemed like an eternity for a rooted life, I flourished and watched as the forest also flourished around me I survived Arctic blasts of icy wind fiery infernos brought on by bursts of lightening that snapped at the air and ignited everything within reach And deep in the fibers of my inner trunk I fought off micro organisms hungry for the taste of wood But the only thing constant is change which I first noticed midway through my fifth century A feeling at first, starting with my arms which became brittle and easy to break Slow to heal Rain continued to reach my roots but they were also slow to respond, to pass along my life blood I remained full of great cheer for below me, spread out over acres and acres... My offspring...were themselves maturing and playing out their magnificent supporting roles And time...as slow as it passes Is quickly used up And like my birth I scarcely remember my fall though the sound was loud enough to remind the living that life is as frail as it is beautiful and to remind me that I am now ready for my next role as a bench for the weary to sit on and rest and contemplate their own journey