As a Bird Would Perch

As a Bird Would Perch

When one says the word tree, the trunk of a Neem tree darkened by rain comes to my mind. The canopy is so far above that I only see its shadow, and the air is filled with a mild but definitive aroma of its leaves. A significant memory of my days growing up is four...
Mourning a Mango Tree

Mourning a Mango Tree

Today it will be 16 days since our mango tree fell. If she had been a human, we would have gathered to reminisce about her life, offered prayers for her soul and feasted in celebration of all that she stood for but trees don’t have funerals or memorial services. They...
Language, names and nature

Language, names and nature

There is a tall Acacia nilotica tree on an empty plot near our home. I have seen it grow from a small sapling, giving little notice to it then, always thinking the owners would pluck it out anytime as they begin to build a new house or apartment there. It has remained...