Sequoia

This is the story of a sequoia tree that, day after day, enjoyed the company of the sun and the stars at night—especially the stars, for the sun had never spoken to her. Hundreds of years passed, and the sequoia was happy, singing with the birds during the day and with the stars at night, breathing in the fresh air and admiring the beauty of the world from the highest heights.

One day, the sequoia felt the urge to sleep, and without realizing it, she dozed off for 200 years. When she finally woke up, she was no longer in the forest. Her face was turned toward the ground, and all she could see were a few feet moving around her. She heard the voices of strange beings who, judging by the smell, seemed to be eating on top of her.

Frightened, the sequoia tried to speak to them, but they couldn’t hear her. She screamed louder and louder, saying that this was not her place.She searched for the stars but couldn’t see them. Wondering about the birds but she couldn’t hear them. She choked on the air of this foreign place—it felt nothing like herself. So, exhausted, the sequoia thought that perhaps this was just a nightmare, and she decided to sleep again, hoping to wake up in her true home… This time, she slept for 100 years.

When she awoke again, she found herself in a vast lot filled with remnants of things she did not recognize. Among those mountains of discarded objects were old, battered pieces of what was once a great tree. This time, it was night, and she could see the sky. So the sequoia sang, hoping her starry friends would hear her. But the lights around her weren’t stars.

The sequoia stayed awake all night, trying to understand what had happened to her, remembering the days when she could see the world from above and feel happy. The night ended, and slowly, the Sun appeared. Upon seeing him, the sequoia cried out:

“Oh Sun, you who are grand and powerful, look at what has happened to me. I have become nothing but debris, yet you remain unchanged, untouched. Why, Sun?”

The Sun, who had never spoken to the sequoia before, answered:

“Oh Sequoia, you are still that tree. Even though everything has changed, you remain your own secret, and you can still sing.”

But the sequoia replied: 

“What is the point of singing if no one can hear me?”

And the Sun said: 

“Oh Sequoia, it doesn’t matter if anyone hears you. When you sing, it is not the world that listens—it is your heart. Do not cling to what will never return; embrace this moment, for it too will pass. And though you may not believe it, one day, I too shall fade away.”

Then the sequoia asked:

“What will happen when I sleep again?”

And the Sun answered: 

“This time, it will be better than before. You see, the less of a tree you are, the freer you become. When you wake up, you will turn into the light smoke that travels with the wind, and there will be nothing left to lose—only the freedom to be yourself, forever.”

And in the end, the sequoia slept.

This story is part of my book “Short Stories to dream, think and cry a little” available on Amazon.