Simmal Tree

[Har Ka Daas]

Have you ever seen a Simmal Tree ? Its as straight as an arrow, very tall and thick. But the birds which sit on it return disappointed. Its fruits are tasteless, its flowers are nauseating, and its leaves are useless. (Ang 470)

I feel like a Simmal tree…

If only someone would show me the way…

But today, the whole land seemed to have this layer of bleakness over it. All the trees looked liked they had given up, bark flaking off. Birds were singing their usual song but with no synchronization. Sun so bright it hurt my eyes. Feeling a little drowsy with the heat and bleakness of the scene, I just looked down and walked along slowly…not too concerned with where I was going. Nothings really changed… maybe that’s what’s been getting to me so much. Still that same boy living in the house down the road, walking along this path, going nowhere. Over the years, it has just been the same. Sure there have been the good times, high times, playing, laughing, running….

I suddenly froze ! A bright yellow bee caught my eye, sitting on a flower just ahead. Ohh how it brought back memories ! It looked so full of life. I quietly crept behind it and chased it when it took off. It buzzed right past me ! I ran the other way ! Jumped ! Laughed ! Rolled in the grass ! Called out as loud as I could ! Oh the high times ! The buzz !

It was gone

And I was left there again… slowly fading back down…

These ups and downs ups and downs…

Is this what life was ?

The forest used to be green with life, birds chirping in melancholy, and I’d sit there by the river, basking in the sun.

The forest had not changed… but why do I feel so… so empty ? There’s nothing to look forward too.. nothing but the usual. Its just the same life… where will I go ?

…

His head sunk to the ground … as he wondered…

…

Where is my purpose ?

…

Life was just this bland desolate… tree bark…

Was there anything more ? Or was it just a thought that there was something besides this. An illusion which shatters when our dust merges back with the trees. Why should I even do anything ?

So… I just sat there… lifelessly, under the trees… eyes closed, no hope or anticipation of hope. I was lost. Hope and desire didn’t even seem real.

…

Hours past… the sun crawled away as the night crept in with the blanket of stars. Slowly the wind blew over the trees, a nice cool faint breeze. As his eyes opened, he was left in amazement over the tranquillity of the scene and serenity of the moon.

The wind picked up pace rather quickly, blowing twigs and leaves in the distance, moving towards where he sat. All of a sudden, the wind seemed to circle him. He could see the wind with his eyes… So strong that it picked him up and gently brought him to his feet. It scared him a little but the way the wind held him, gave him a sense of consolidation… like someone was behind this… guiding it…

And then suddenly… it left… His body fell back to the ground as if he’d just been dropped. He watched the wind fly off into the distance with the wave of leaves below it.

And as it went, it whispered a message through the trees

…. look inside ….

Voice so soft… so comforting…

I closed my eyes… and felt a warmth I’d never felt before… a compassion I’d never imagined existed.

For what seemed like an eternity, I sat there mind and body imbued in these divine colours. I stirred the crucible of love with the devotion of my mind, body and soul producing the richest nectar I had ever tasted. Basking in this joy, this new found love, I found my purpose… to love… and to love with every minute every second every moment of my life….

To feel your presence in these trees, this sky, the leaves… inside of me…

[Hardeep Kaur]

Thats sooooooooo nice