jagged and soft from years of decay.
When alive, the tree must have dominated this patch of land
but now blue sky shone down from above.
Next to the stump was another tree, a stout tree,
large but nowhere near as tall or massive as its neighbor must once have been.
The tree that now lived on must once have struggled to survive
trapped in the shadow of the huge tree that was now reduced to little more than a memory.
Now free to grow, the younger tree stretched eagerly
absorbing the life-giving rays that had earlier been denied it.
Even better, its roots owned the earth around it
spreading relentlessly
not only claiming the land once owned by the dead tree
but dissolving and absorbing the old tree itself.
What sweet revenge
to not only take the place of your oppressor
but to literally consume the bully as well.
Giddy with freedom and gloating,
the survivor did not at first notice the sapling that had taken root just scant yards away.
When the tree finally took notice
it sent an army of roots to strangle the intruder
and sprouted new branches above
to snatch from it the sun’s warmth.
But as recent victors often do
it underestimated the tenacity and resourcefulness of the tiny interloper.
The sapling bobbed and weaved in the breeze
to grab leftovers from the bounty of falling light
and sent roots to unguarded bits of soil
garnering just enough sustenance to survive and inch upwards.
The sapling stalked the larger tree,
just as the larger tree had once defied the now dead giant.
What goes around,
comes around.