Essays

I am an old pine tree on the side of a big mountain inMissouri. It's been years since I came up on my own, I wasn't planted by anyone, with the seed from myneighbor I just happened to grow all by myself. There is a long line of us on the mountain? Apart from sometrees that are as old as me, many younger ones have begun to crop up just like I did.

Years ago Missouri used to be a quiet place. Flowersused to blossom, covering the mountains facing me,

Every morning I would be greeted by the tossing of tin'heads of the flowers. Fruits like cherries, berries, plunr.and apricots would grow in the green expose aroundme.

Tourists coming to Missouri would be amazed by tin ‘beauty of this hill station. I take a lot of credit for tin Fame that has been enjoyed by the place where we growhad I not been here along with my companions, this’. Place would have been as bare as a desert.

However, now the time has come when I have a great fear in my heart. We have seen many of us being cut down by the people who live here and also by builderwho come from the big cities. They chop us off and use the place to build houses and hotels.

We can now see them coming towards us with theirtrucks and big saws. I don't know if they will remove. Us from here now or later. I do know that I will not die a natural death. I have to prepare myself for the pain that I have to suffer at the hands of those who chop down

Machines are going to invade our home and once we are gone, nobody will ever hear the sound of the wind Howling and swishing through my branches.

Let me enjoy the fresh air of the land where I was born. I also want to stand tall in my pride when hundreds of eyes marvel at my beauty. Maybe I can enjoy a few daysor maybe months more of my life. For I know that finallythey come and get us.

Each morning I pray to god and ask him to grant these humans with some sense. I pray that they may let us

Liveand make this earth a healthier and more beautiful space for us and them to live in.