taken by my older son on 050921
“Only mouths are we. Who sings the distant heart which safely exists in the center of all things? – from Rainer Maria Rilke, “Heartbeat.”
“Clear!”
It’s the last thing I hear before everything goes blank.
I don’t know how much time has passed, but I’m conscious again; yet it’s more like a waking dream where I’m blind and floating.
Where Kübler-Ross* suggests that loved ones left behind go through five distinct stages of grief, I feel the first four oscillating through my consciousness for what seems like forever — until their sharp edges are smooth rocks rolling a mountain river.
A disembodied voice speaks to me:
“Only mouths are we. Who sings the distant heart which safely exists in the center of all things?”
I hear a song and open my eyes. I weep that I still have “eyes.” And “ears.” Warm breeze tickles my bark. A child at my feet plants one of my small brown, capped heirs and laughs.
I’m safe, in mother’s embrace.
[144 words]
*A theory developed by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross suggests that we go through five distinct stages of grief after the loss of a loved one: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. – from verywellmind
My older son and I went walking yesterday in an abandoned golf course that is a collaborative project of The Blandford Nature Center in Grand Rapids, MI, and the Land Conservancy of West Michigan, where they are working to get it back to its natural state. Like a fool I left the fresh camera batteries at home and forgot to carry my phone, but I did have my son snap a pic of a beautiful tree, standing so majestically in a clearing, which is the top image you see. I saw at least one bluebird and one of the biggest birch trees ever, but there was a woman resting on it and he refused to take a pic of it with her on it. I will be going back there and will take lots of pics, I promise.
Sanaa (aka adashofsunny) is today’s host for dVerse’ Prosery. Sanaa says:
Write a piece of flash fiction or other prose up of up to or exactly 144 words, including the given line from the poem.
Tao Talk 
Oh my aching heart this is so beautiful and poignant, Lisa! 💝💝 I agree with the theory by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and love the sensitivity with which you have presented in your prose piece. Thank you so much for writing to the prompt!
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Very happy you liked the story, Sanaa. Thank you ❤
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I love the Pov of the tree, and what a lovely ending that she succeed as a mother through the hand of a child… this could be an HC Anderson tale I think…
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🙂 Your comment pleases me very much, thank you, Bjorn.
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This is so clever: it took me a while to realise what was going on here. Though I’m sad she lost a loved one, I am pleased that she is safe and standing proud 🙂
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Ingrid thank you very much.
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What a lovely and unique story from the tree’s point of view. (And perfect song, too.)
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Merril, thank you for reading and your comment. Glad you like Eddie Vedder on the ukelele ❤
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You’re welcome!
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This is a lovely piece.
A child at her feet plants one of her small brown, capped heirs and laughs.
I love the image of a tree (reincarnate, or not) seeing the pure, creative joy of a child planting acorns. Thank you
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I’m glad you picked up on the reincarnation. Thank you for your very kind comment.
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Lovely story of continuity
Happy Monday
Much💚love
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Thank you very much, Gillena and love the word you used.
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“I think that I shall never see” a more beautiful poem about a tree. I wrote several poems using a tree as protagonist, one about the tree cut down to become Christ’s cross, and another about a 1,000 year old bristle cone pine who was witness to so much history.
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❤ Thanks so much. I would really like to see your tree poems. Will you please post them??
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this poem speaks to me deeply! Its beautiful! Hope you enjoyed your walk!
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Thank you, Carol anne. The new park is so wonderful, the terrain has gentle hills and ponds and several varieties of trees and birds. It was a very enjoyable walk.
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I enjoyed your prose, picture as well as the theory, Li. I agree with the theory. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
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Thank you so much, Kitty, and I’m glad you agree with the theory 🙂
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It’s a beautiful tree. Love your poignant poem Li
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❤ Thank you, Sadje.
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You’re welcome
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Lisa, I love love love how you tied this into a slice of your life for us. Thank you for sharing your lovely experience 🙂
Yours,
David
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Thank you, David, and I’m glad you liked it.
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Your surreal dream is like an ongoing scream, wanting to move on, yet lost in the purgatory of this life.
Well done Lisa!
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Thanks for reading, Dwight, and I appreciate your take on it.
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You are welcome Lisa!
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I concur. Well done, lisa…
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Thank you, Judy.
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This is so well done, Lisa! I am familiar with the Kübler-Ross theory and I love how you applied it to the mother tree. I also love the way the warm breeze tickles her bark and the innocent child plants one of her ‘small brown, capped heirs’. Nature is amazing.
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Thank you very much. I can’t wait to see my granddaughter out in nature.
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Magical and poignant – a lovely read.
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Thank you very much.
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I had to read this twice as your story is so intriguing. Simply lovely Lisa!
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🙂 ❤ Thank you, Linda.
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You’re welcome.
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We need more … many more … tales told by trees. This is enchanting, Lisa.
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Thank you very much, Helen. I’m trying to get Glenn to post his tree poems.
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I will be going back there and
will take lots of pics, I promise.
Nature can certainly mesmerize and it is good Jade, that you have decided to go back and take the intended snapshots later.
Hank
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Hank, when you see what I bring back, you’ll know why 🙂 Thanks for reading and your comment.
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It has been a long time since I’ve been to Grand Rapids. I wouldn’t recognize it if I did visit. But I was born there and lived on Knapp Street for many years. Part of my heart will always be there, and so I love reading anything to do with the area. ♥
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Awesome on Knapp Street. It’s grown up a lot over the years. There is an IMAX theater on Knapp now. The place I walked is off of Leonard, which you might remember?
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I love the merging of lives in this, the turning of the wheel. (K)
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Thank you, glad you like it, K.
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“A child at my feet plants one of my small brown, capped heirs and laughs.” I both loved the hint of reincarnation and yet was a little melancholy at the loss of the tree itself.
I really enjoyed that this was from the view of the tree, nice!
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Raivenne, thank you. I was trying to convey the loss of a human life that became reincarnated as a sentient tree, so don’t feel bad for loss of the tree 🙂
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