Sunday, June 2, 2019

Telling Tales with Magaly Guerrero: a Pantry of Prose, #4 ~ From the Point of View of Trees

The other day, a friend on Instagram posted a picture of a flower, and asked if anyone thought that it could be possible to claim the bloom as a writing buddy. I thought, half-jokingly, Some of my best friends are potted in my terrace garden. Aloud, I typed, “My entire garden is [my writing buddy]. They are fantastic listeners!”


When I started wondering about a theme for this month’s Pantry of Prose, that exchange (and my slightly selfish desire to read tales narrated by plants) came to mind. So, my beloved Poets and Storytellers, for today’s prompt, I invite you to write a new short or essay or article (in 313 words or fewer), from the point of view of a tree.

As a secondary option, you have the choice of taking one of your old poems and turning it into a new short story (in 313 words or fewer).

If you can’t think of anything, feel free to use my photo (a tree with a heart-shaped scar carved into its bark) and/or the following quote, (from The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World, by Peter Wohlleben) as inspiration: “without bark [a] tree cannot transport sugar from its leaves to its roots. As the roots starve, they shut down their pumping mechanisms, and because water no longer flows through the trunk up to the crown, the whole tree dries out”
 


Please let us know which option you’ve chosen to story-tell.   

This prompt will remain open until Tuesday. Only one entry per participant. Visit other storytellers. Delight in the words of trees. 

A wee note in red (for visitors and veterans): I adore poetry, but the Pantry of Prose is for prose (meaning, short stories, essays, articles, slice of life). So, with my deepest apologies, links to poems will be deleted. 

A late note: the topic for the next Midweek Motif is “Plastic Bags”.



41 comments:

  1. Ha, for once i am early to the Pantry, because here on the west coast it is ten p.m. lol. Looking forward to hearing from the trees. Tomorrow i will read a tree poem at an event where we are trying to convince people to protect the old trees we have left. We are losing too many. The result? We have had no rain this year - in a rainforest.

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    1. You're doing a sterling job, Sherry. May your poetry reading move hearts, influence deniers and initiate change!

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    2. Yes, yes, yes. More power to you, dear friend!

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    3. I hope you tell us all about how the reading went. And, of course, what Khaya and Sumana said!

      It's terrible what is happening to our weather--the soil is dying of thirst, the soil is drowning... the rich get richer and more ruthless.

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    4. The event was a RESOUNDING success, well-attended. Even our wonderful woman mayor came. We are working with Council on a tree protection bylaw, so we are making headway. A few committed citizens CAN make a difference. Apparently my poem made one woman cry. LOL. My Bodhisattva poem, about all that trees do for us and how all they ask in return is that we let them live. I am exhausted, but very pleased.

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    5. You are doing such good work! Poetry makes a difference.

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    6. That’s wonderful, Rosemary! 💚🌳💚

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    7. Indeed it was wonderful! But that was Sherry, not me, LOL.

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    8. Bwahahaha! You were still in my thoughts—I had just read that you had to spend the night away from home because a friend was sick—when I replied to Sherry, so... well, you read the result. 😂

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  2. Morning Storytellers! What a BIG prompt, I hope I’ve done it justice. I’m slowly waking up… But I’ll be back to read your tales and takes on this important prompt.

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    1. Since I can still remember the joy of the Gum Tree, I believe justice has been done!

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  3. Happy Sunday everyone! Today's topic is so close to my heart Magaly. Thank you.

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  4. I hope you're all having a great Sunday! It's a sunny morning here in North Norfolk and I was able to take a photograph of the bay tree as it is today! If you look carefully, you can see Mojo, the smaller of our two cats, who is typically curious.

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    1. Kim, I so enjoyed your contributions (inspiration and background alike!).

      And thank you so much for this comment, I just went back to see... and there was Mojo! looking. :-D

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  5. The prompt made me think of the song by Rush: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnC88xBPkkc

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  6. I'm delighting in all the pieces so much. Thank you so much, to those of you who have already brightened (and enlightened) my tree-loving-storyteller day. Keep on bringing it on!

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  7. You've probably told us already somewhere, Magaly, but why the odd number 313?

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    1. My reasons are purely selfish—I I love odd, I love 3 and 1, my eyes love the symmetry of 313. Also, 313 words seems to give most of us just enough room to work with... without going nuts (or too lengthy). 😉😉😉

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  8. I have a deep love of trees so I picked my favorite to tell her story and a bit of my own.

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  9. I came in looking to link my Lunch Break post today, only to realize i coundn't, since today is about prose. O h but my love for trees saved me so i wrote a short article about trees
    Happy Sunday to prompter and writers

    much love...

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    1. Trees are si good at tempting, aren’t they? I love that about them. 😊

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  10. Ahhh, Magaly, what a wonderful prompt. Love it!

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    1. So glad you do. Can’t wait to see what you wrote out of your garden!

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  11. I assume that we all see goodness of trees, but my choice was a little bit darker... It's getting bedtime here, but I will come back to read tomorrow

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    1. My contribution is a response to this prompt and Kerry’s. I wrote a total of 5 little stories, inspired by the prompts. The only one that speaks of the goodness of tree (in a way) is the one I posted. The rest had extremely pissed off tree, with rather terrifying appetites... dark and bite(y).

      I'm looking forward to your darker words.

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    2. And I almost forgot, Rommy’s story is sweetly terrifying.

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    3. I am just about to read the stories, but I forget to mention that part of my inspiration came from Old man willow from the lord of the rings.

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  12. This was a fun prompt Magaly! I love trees, so I postec a chat with a tree.

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  13. Thanks for the challenge...not sure I accomplished it, but my tree spoke. :)

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    1. I think our collective forest grew many different trees this weekend. And the voice of your tree was very strong.

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  14. Apologies everyone – I was unexpectedly away most of the weekend without internet access, so am only just now getting around to reading the majority of you. Treats in store, I'm sure!

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  15. Dear PU a great inspiring prompt. I have chosen to tell the story of a tree which we planted just outside our small house. What happened with it after we sold the house, in the words of the tree itself. Thank you

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    1. I'm so glad you did. This tree deserves its story to be told.

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    2. Thank you, Anjum. I, too, am glad you wrote it. Trees need a voice, especially these days. Can’t wait to read!

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  16. Really liked this prompt and had an immediate response to it. Sorry, I am late but had visitors and company most of the day yesterday.

    Elizabeth

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    1. So glad you made it! It was lovely to read about this knowing tree...

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