The Chessnut tree

Just behind my tiny little garden there is a large, very tall chess nut tree. The tree dominates the whole apartment building I live in. The chess nut was here long before the apartments were build. The trunk is robust and high, the branches spread out wide and broad. This tree is impressing. I am thankful to live so close to it.

The chess nut tree goes with the wheel of the year.

In winter he is naked and allows the low sun to shine into my living room. When spring comes the buds grow and shine. They are a goldish brown colour. The buds grow slowly when the days grow longer. Every year I wonder who will sprout first, the hand formed dark green leaves or the white and pink flowers. But they always come together. The leaves hang down as if the tree is very relaxed. Later they will spread and become really big hands. The flowers are standing up like chandeliers with many small candles. In summer the tree fills my garden with merciful shade when the sun is celebrating his time. Behind the leaves near the trunk is a mysterious world of bird twittering and movement.

And then when autumn comes something very awkward happens. Something you do not expect to happen. Under the tree suddenly and out the blue children appear. They carry bags and buckets. They all look down to the ground. Sometimes a father joins them. He usually looks up. When he sees what he is looking for he starts kicking the tree with a ball or a long stick. But nothing happens, the ball travels idle through the foliage and falls back to the earth. The children do not notice the man. They keep looking down and fill their bags with shiny brown treasures.

When the children leave, the tree is happy. His seed is spreading and he knows that somewhere one of the children will plant a nut. A new tall and handsome chess nut tree will be born.

Now the tree can pull back the energy from his leaves and let them fall to the earth to nourish her and in time will give food to the tree himself. The tree is ready for winter.

Liefs,

Simone