Rebel Tree

You were the 1st thing I noticed 

When the car climbed up to clifton

Standing tall 

Branches twisted and entangled 

Like the present day human relations

All near you green and straight

You were dancing to your own tune...

I named you the rebel tree.

You became my muse...

I captured you 

With the first rays of the morning sun 

Mellow and yellow

And with the last rays

You a silhouette

With the rising moon

And the dramatic clouds

I captured you just like that...

You were the one where the barbets

Perched and howled, much to Dudo's anguish

You were the one where the birds rested before they flew off to the next and the next tree

You were the one the langoors escaped to

When Kishan and Sanju chased them

You were also the one where the flying squirrel

Took a pit stop before landing on the English oak

You saw a lot, most of which I am not even aware

But you saw me fall in love with you and the Ash tree and the English Oak and the Kalchunia and more

You were witness to the late night banters around the fire

You were witness to opening up of a new book

You were witness to many art works and many struggles

You were witness to a few tears and many laughters

You stood there tall

And bare while others bloomed

One should have seen it coming...

Why would a mighty tree like you be all bare... 

In a cold and beautiful place like Nainital?

You had probably lived your life, done your part

You were probably waiting for the storm that will take you away...

Wish I had known...

I would have hugged you tightly before I left... 

Now you have left... 

Fallen prey to the mighty winds

But my dear andolanjeevi tree you will be remembered forever

We all must go, 

the best of writers and painters and

singers and politicians and

Ordinary folks and the extra ordinary ones

We try to leave a mark 

Some manage and some go in oblivion 

You have left a mark for sure

on me and on a significant other I know... 

You taught me to see

To give 

To hold on and then to quietly fall

or maybe  not so quietly... 

Now you will be stored as log wood 

And will warm many a bodies and souls 

on cold winter nights... 

But the void you create visually and emotionally 

Will be hard to fill

Till we meet again on a cold winter night

RIP my dear Rebel tree... 

(c) Shubhra 

May 24, 2023