Willow's World

Hello. I'm Willow, not of the human variety, but rather one of those ancient trees who whisper dark secrets to the wind. My life is brought to me in the seasons, my roots firmly anchoring me to the earth while my branches reach neverendlessly for the sky. I have seen the world change from the quiet, peaceful perspcective of my forest home, I have witnessed the fall of supposedly powerful empires, the passing of meek generations, and the continual dance of both life and death. The verst first memory which I have is the gentle touch of the rain, a soft caress as the entire world was reborn following a long, painful winter. As I grew and matured, I felt the sun's comforting warmth after a long and painful winter on my leaves, a presence that initiated my growth. I learned the language of the creatures with whom I shared my quaint space--the busy squirrels, the graceful birds (in both sound and flight), the near-silent rustle of deer hooves on the forest floor among the fallen leaves. One day, a maiden named Anya found her wau into my domain. She indeed was very small, her eyes wide with pure wonder as she looked at my towering trunk. (I stood as tall as I possibly could to show it off.) She would come often once that day passed that she found me, sitting at the very base of my trunk, sharing both her stories and her secrets with me. I listened intently to her, my leves softly rustling in response to her, a silent understanding actually forming between us. Although, time passed and Anya grew old and sadly so did I. Her playful laughter rebounded off the trees as an echo as she played carelessly with her friends. I saw her very first love, a young boy named Kai, their hands endlessly brushing against one another as they sat and rested in my plentiful shade. I truly felt a sharp pang of sorrow when they left me, along with the other trees of the forest to build a life and a home in the bustling city far beyond, their love being a bitterweet melody to me fading in the distance. Even if years later, Anya finally returned to me, older now, her face appearing as if it were etched by a sculptor with the lines of time. Indeed, she came to me with an exceedingly heavy heart, sharing the sorrowful news of her dear Kai's passing. I felt her grief as I knew no other could, my leaves trembling in sure sympathy. She sat on my roots as she used to, except now there were tears falling on my bark as never before, and feeling this steady beat, I offered her the only comfort that I could--the silent embrace of the entire wood. As even more time, and therefore seasons passed, I watched Anya age, her visit becoming even more and more less frequent. Nevertheless, even when she could no longer walk through the forest, I knew that she still remained with me in heart and soul. Her spirit lingered on, a quiet whisper in the wind that one could feel, a sound memory in my bark. Even today, seeing the new life that continuously thrives in the forest. Very young children, including the grandchildren of Anya, now play carelessly with their friends beneatth my plentiful draping branches. The cycle goes on, the forest being one of the sole constants in a rapidly changing world. In it, I am still Willow, the tree who remembers all, and my story is woven intricately in the ongoing tapestry of time, a near-silent witness to the honest human experience, rooted deep into the very ground of the earth, reaching eternally for the heavens.