Truly pierced

Yesterday, we crossed the newly harvested field behind our barn and climbed the hill to the forest to say hi to the two dinosaurs but more importantly to check whether the winter mushrooms that were so plentiful last year had sprung up by now. We didn’t find any traces yet. It seems our autumn continues to be too warm for them and we must wait patiently for the night frosts to arrive.

However, once again I noticed something peculiar up on the hilltop. A rusty old piece of barbed wire was sticking out of a perfectly healthy looking pine tree. A closer inspection confirmed that the wire piercing the trunk had not caused any damage to the tree.

Someone must have tied it around the young tree decades ago, perhaps to serve as a pole for a fence surrounding the lookout post that was there during the war or simply to hold a hunting trap. Whatever the reason, the pine hadn’t let the foreign object disturb its growth but had gone on with its life as usual.

Despite the vital appearance, the past sad events – although healed ­– are still hovering around the tree reminded by the wire hanging from the trunk. Nature is often our best guide as the tree seems to convey a message: even if truly pierced, let the wounds heal but don’t try to hide them and you will stay complete.