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The Tree Outside My Window
There’s a tree outside my window
Every day of every year, it looms
Dark, cracked, rough and leafless
Its branches seem to gain length and strength
With each passing day
And I think they will grow so long
They’ll break through my bedroom window
And that will only be the beginning
And then one night
I am awakened
By a shatter
And a loud, taunting whisper
I pull the quilt a little higher
And tell myself I’m hearing things
But it persists
Soon it is joined by a chorus of other voices
I can no longer ignore
And I turn in their direction
And there is the tree
With its many unnaturally long branches
Swaying and leaning closer and closer to me
And the words become louder and clearer
They are not unfamiliar ones
But not comfortingly familiar, either
Many are strung together in phrases
Phrases which have echoed in my mind
Since long before the tree appeared
I had the tree when it was just a seed
And always just shrug
When people comment on its unusually rapid growth
I extol the benefits of good soil
Clear my throat
And change the topic
But they don’t know that the soil can’t be purchased at any store
That they often have it readily available themselves
With their acid tongues
And idle verbalized thoughts
They don’t see the root system getting a little more intricate each time
A careless word is scattered
So now, the once innocent seed
Has led to this moment of peril
And I know
I can’t call for the neighbors to help
Or grab a chainsaw
So instead, though I feel like screaming
I calmly say,
“Go away, you menace!
I don’t want you outside my window
Or in my room
Anymore”
And with that, I lay back down
And close my eyes
Not knowing what else I can say or do
Hoping the monstrosity will disappear
And before long, I drift off
