Tree Time Reflections

Crossing the barren Jhelum hilly stretch from Dina to Mandra and then on to the populated roadside town of Rewat the view changes from dusty brown to patches of dark green, gradually merging to greater clusters of natural growth on the outskirts of Rawalpindi
My city Rawalpindi always brought relief relaxation and a breath of sheer freshness as soon as one enters from the South side , I mean coming from Lahore.
Trees became part of my life , they literally would give me the boost of pure oxygen and I realize how they have always been my friends.and kept me company.
Tall trees strong sturdy and thick, firmly rooted, evergreen and ever present ever shady. I would count them while going to school, or on the weekend picnic, or the rare train travel journeys from Pindi to Lahore, Gujranwala or Sialkot ….there were many…I mean trees and I learnt revised and consolidated my counting lessons. It was fun, really.

I remember one of my first fairy tales 'well it was Jack and the bean stalk'
Jack climbed it to reach the land of the Giant.This was a magic tree.Then there was the wood cutter..er..I mean woods..mmmnn not Tiger Woods!! No, woods woods; trees and forests, growing wildly, a prince slashing his sword ..think of it Tiger Woods smashing his golf stick…to cut through to reach the sleeping princess-OH Dear and AH what a wonderful start-Alice sitting on a tree branch listening or rather day dreaming while her mother reads History lessons to her. Imagine the Cheshire cat too sitting on a branch sometimes visible sometimes not.
My first playground game was ' Touch the Tree' and you are safe, any number of players , even two could play, as it was 'run run run' reminded me of 'Run Elisa run' of Anna and the King of Siam, the official banquet stage performance, just that Elisa was running away from traditions and restrictions in a foreign land and it was a question of love life and liberty 'AH what a wonderful triad! I am a writer'..er...where was I ....yes,
but this game was different....without any strict laws, just touching the trees! Ah but If trees are being cut so rapidly and from so many places , wouldn't that be a threat to safety? OH just a thought......,Yes Thinking Skills! Sister Maura's memories...of class 8th in St Helens Convent Rawalpindi 'how her fist would bang on the rostrum' Think Think Think' she would literally scream when the class sat dumb in response to her History questions .It was A History of Indo Pak Sub-continent, a very thin book.At that stage of education I did not know how thick should a history book be, and now I know after more than fifty years that History of a Nation needs to be written recorded and preserved and comes in many books.'Thinking skills are being stressed. If we were really doing that we would not be cutting trees, I guess. Mr Edward De Bono has become my favourite author, He Thinks' and shows us how to do the same.Thanks Edward.....OH I must mention the tree outside my window, we planted it ourself when we bought this small house, watered and nourished it, pruned it, shared its shade, enjoyed its flowers, birds have made it their home, best of all, this Tree shows me the seasons, tells me the time, talks to me, keeps me company in times of solitude and I Know I will go, but my tree will never desert me.My only faithful friend.
What I have learnt from Nature? This Tree is My Teacher and has taught me patience courage steadfastness and above all the acceptance of Changing circumstances. I see that it welcomes all visitors...crows birds the stealthy cat and the mini insects that crawl all over it all the time. It is a home to so many. Yet it complains of one thing and so rightly....the Kite and the Killing String...Oh Dear kites kill they get stuck in the branches and look so odd. The paper gets dusty day by day and spoils the beauty of nature. We need to be careful I wonder how uncomfortable the tree must feel when such an object enters without permission?
A friend in need is a friend indeed. Real Friends bear with the bothersome.
Ah It just struck me, what about the Eskimos in Greenland? I must ask them about trees sometime.
Well me the poet is always inspired by trees and I wish to quote
'sadness and sorrow fill my heart
when I see the leaves
silently leave the tree
rolling over and over they go
round and round
one by one they come to the ground
the Tree watches , silently
bravely the loss it will bear
without a sigh, without a tear'
Trees will always be my friends.I care, do you?