Needless to say, he is always there for me. A veritable sage, he is as lush in wisdom as he is in foliage. He is a dominant figure at the center of a small community of trees on an island of green in a human residential neighborhood. This oasis is shared by magnetic, open palms and a towering cluster of trees whose slender trunks come together at the base to form a basket for catching their fragrant fallen blossoms.
Because we live close by, I visit with this family of trees nearly every day. My intended's magnanimous trunk has grown in such a way as to provide comfortable seating for one person on each side. I prefer the side that allows me to nestle so closely against him that he can encompass both of my shoulders in his powerful embrace. Sometimes, late at night, after visiting with human companions, I drive by to see how fondly the moon dotes upon him, and to reinforce my own sense of deep-rooted connectedness.
A stalwart champion of my personal blossoming, my leafy lover offers solace, succor, and strength whenever I seek his counsel. His guidance never fails to offer new insights that inevitably raise my spirits. His reassurances--though seemingly far-fetched--have proven invariably correct. In short, he provides the very sort of compassion, brilliance, and unconditional support I had been raised to expect from a male of the animal kingdom and human species.
Of course, our passion for union must necessarily take place on the etheric plane. But I find this communion nonetheless fulfilling, for we are positively inspired by each other's every breath. So, no, I have not climbed naked into his branches, for we are naked in our souls together and nothing can stop us from knowing and loving each other completely. Which of his many rings shall I wear upon my heart to seal our vows? None but the golden ring of truth that drew me to him in the first place.
I did arrive once to discover another woman entwined in his limbs in the shadow of darkness. But I am assured of his steadfast loyalty to me--as she must also have been. I know I am not alone in loving him, yet I see no conflict in sharing his love--such is his vast capacity for responding to my needs.
How few people can claim the same of their human comrades at this critical moment in our evolutionary history. Are we not then to seek and nurture such love wherever we can find it? Are we so rigid as to believe that it must come only from our own kind, no matter how limited their current capacities? Given the problems of over-population, there is little to justify unions between ill-fitted, yet well-matched, couples of the same species.
I prefer to give my affections where I know they will absolutely enrich the structure of another being--and will be returned in kind. I refuse to be limited by the form in which a spirit chooses to clothe itself--whether as an untamed wind or a steadfast tree, a playful dolphin, majestic mountain, or a gallant steed. Because there are many of my sisters and brothers deeply committed to every form of wildlife--including stunning features of the Earth's geography and elements--I propose we consider recognizing alliances of any sort that can help to unite all life in the bonds of love.
This article is reprinted from Talking Leaves Vol. 6 No. 1, Summer Solstice 1994.
Laurel Airica is a writer and intuitive counselor who draws upon the Nature Kingdom for insights into human nature. She and her psychic houseplants can be reached for "essence readings" at (310) 395-7177.
©2000* Talking Leaves
Winter 2001
Volume 10, Number 3
Relationship