Broken Branches

A tree stood strong, fruity and healthy on fertile soils of a volcanic landscape a fairy forest ranger nurtured it on honey and mulched it with jam and ice-cream three beautiful fragile branches developed but forest ranger was happy, self-conceited birds and bats enjoyed its products in joy an ornamental gift it was for the hills then came blinding rains and storms the first branch broke and rocked by thread forest ranger hired bats as expert doctors ones that see things creatively upside-down to the stem they tied firm and secure another storm came shortly yelling horror the second branch resisted but gave way soon again the wise bats fastened it to the stem and the last branch suffered equal damages but the broken branches began to dry The birds thought bats did shoddy work Led by Owl as keen and experienced doctor antibiotics injections, drips were given but the three branches became anemic, died squirrel so amused shouted from a distant hill; “Why waste resources on broken branches? What if the dying old tree is lumbered, and new seeds planted to grow new generation?”