Thick encrusted strokes of acrylic paint; an aerial view of mountains, ridges weaving and merging together in a great pattern across the earth beneath. The bark is almost a growth, a gnarled encasement, twisting and strangling itself in a many grooved path up and down the tree; cracked and hopeless as a sunbaked riverbed. Dying branches jut out around like little bony arms, contorted and unnatural in their diseased deformity, leaves swaying languidly in the breeze. A broken, decaying branch is caught haphazardly within this collection of twigs composing the crown. A dysfunctional telephone wire hangs listlessly from an unseen source above, adding an eerie industrial quality to the tree's dreary aura. This tree's existence appears futile. However, it serves the example of the ultimate triumph of trees, and mother nature as a whole, over the evils of humankind, confirmed at the roots, struggling against the slightly disturbed concrete slabs called sidewalk.

Trees are God's arrows, flung down from the infinite expanse above, taking hold wherever they may land, and spreading out roots despite the possible hostility of the surrounding environment. Although we fear for the destruction of the trees, we continue to wreak terror upon all of nature without anti-environmental, industrial ways. Our egocentric nature as the human race, allowing us to see only our "progress," blinds our eyes to the grim reality.

Along with the rest of our environment, the trees are dying. However, Mother Nature created the human race and we are foolish to think we can somehow destroy her, our creator. Signs of Mother Nature's creeping triumph are everywhere: sidewalks slowly cracking from powerful tree roots, abandoned parking lots overgrown with weeds, and expanding deserts obliterating much of the life in their paths. Destruction of the environment at our hands may occur, but will only be bringing about our own miserable deaths. The universe is cyclic, from the phases of the moon to the seasons, to woman's menstrual cycle: all of our evil will soon boomerang back upon us and the human race will slowly die out just as the dinosaurs did many millenniums ago.

On a physical evolutionary scale, humans are perhaps the highest beings, just as trees stand on the highest level of plant life. We need to treat trees as counterparts rather than helpless slaves to our selfish desires. Trees selflessly give us shade, fruit and medicines in addition to acting as filters for our contaminated, foul air. In return, we brutally hack down entire forests to clear space for cattle, which millions require to satiate unnecessary blood-thirsty cravings.

If the human race cannot learn a simple lesson: the need to live harmoniously with one's environment, we can kiss our evil lives good-bye. We are accelerating a process always in progress, only leading more quickly to the inevitable completion of the human cycle. ^