“Fall, seedling's, fall,” the wind whispered as pine cones slammed into each other screaming for help from the mother tree, begging for her to hang on. “Fallow me seedlings, to another land where you can grow big and strong. To be a mother tree yourself,” the wind howled. Letting go of the pine cones and trembling with the excitement contained in their small bodies to follow in the wind, to meet their dreams. Traveling for days.


“I am tired seedlings. This is a new land. Good-bye,” whispered the wind before letting the little seeds drop to the ground where a bound of earth soon engulfed them into darkness.


Crying out it's sorrows to the world's vast gardens, the clouds were raining out their tears, each splattering the ground. Drowning the dirt and covering it with water until oxygen was well above it's reach.


They seedlings drank in the water in a hurry. Drinking for months, root's stretched out of it's sides like arms. Each one reaching out for more to drink, until one day it will be full grown and raise it's branches like long arms to the sky.


“BOOM” thunder screamed at lightning who quickly flashed her fiery anger at the earth as the flames stretched upwards to the slash pines branches. “I WANT TO BURN YOU,” the flames crackled.


“YOU WILL NEVER BURN TO MY HIGH BRANCHES, OR THROUGH MY THICK BARK. FIRE CAN NEVER DESTROY ME,” the tree shouted as the fire died down and soon vanished, leaving nothing but ashes and smoke.




Not the only survivor of the fire, the slash pine shouts down to his quickly growing companion, the saw palmetto's. “How are you?” “Still surviving due to my half burred stem,” came the reply. “Not much light though.


“Move over Madam Dahoon Holly! How are you saw grass.” asked saw palmetto. “Catching up, though the deer, rabbits', and gopher tortoises won't leave me alone,” she said.


“We have to eat to saw grass” said the rabbits. “Come deer, let's go home.” Sinking into a dark hole the rabbit’s disappeared.


The deer frolicking through the woods to their own homes disappointed in their food. But knowing it would soon get bigger and less bitter.


“AACCCHHHOOO” the animals squealed in their snoozing slumbers. Hibernating until the first sign of spring. White snow lie on the ground glistening in it's silent glory of it's few months of silent peace.


As snow drips off the slash pines branches it yawns in awakening. Animals approach the sunlight out of the darkness of their holes. This is a never ending circle. The circle of life.