the damaged tree's soliloquy, by Maya Wohl

View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm, by Thomas Cole (England) 1836

the damaged tree’s soliloquy 

the rowboat mocks us, meanders 
along the glass stream that cascaded down my stump, 
and turned us into deformed strangers

our stream now washes its hands of its scheme
how naive i was to trust this traitor

i straighten my trunk and stretch my branches;
once lush, now lacking

the flourishing meadow and i lock eyes, 
it gazes at me while i fantasize 

i would slash stems and shrubs,
the searing sting never ceasing
pulverize lively flowers
forcing them to begin again

but rather i shield her from the sunlight strips 
from the fickle ivory puffballs 
that were just yesterday the colour of slate
covering her eyes as mine flood 
with residue drips

golden warmth on my back asks me please, for a second chance
i swivel back around without a second glance

Maya Wohl

Maya Wohl is a 16 year old creative writing student from the San Francisco Bay Area. She is passionate about art and creative writing, especially poetry and short fiction. She plans to major in Art History.