I, the Saharan beacon rooted firm
My Ambassadors networked with the sun
Arms outstretched towards the sky
In requital of my time-fallen kinship
These roots criss crossed through the ground
Telling tales as they passed each other
Sharing their oxygen laden wealth
Drawn from the density of the well beneath
Surviving to succeed those they left behind
In four-hundred thousand square kilometers
Not a soul stood for me to lean my heavy head on
Here, I was to stand alone and expose myself
To the sun, the sky, the wind, the cold of night
Against the test of time I lingered as I wished
Serving as a compass to those I knew well
Baffling weary travelers who sought the shade
Yet here, they forced me down with their machines
Blaming the minds they themselves had intoxicated
Displaying my limbs as a trophy of their exploits
Only to later replace it with their petty sentiment
NOTES: The Tree of Ténéré was alone Acacia located in the Ténéré region of the Sahara Desert. Isolated from any other tree by over 400 kilometers in every direction, it was considered sacred by the nomadic Tuareg people in the region. It met an unfortunate demise in 1973 when an allegedly drunk truck driver crashed into it. In commemoration of the tree, a metal structure was placed where it once stood, while the remains of the tree were moved to a museum.
I was inspired to write this poem after reading Peter Wohlleben’s The Hidden Life of Trees. The book excellently brought to life the hidden processes trees use to stay alive. I felt The Tree of Ténéré, despite its quiet and solitary life, should once again be brought to life in a way that would reflect these processes.
Harsh Ramchandani is a Hong Kong-based writer. Currently working in the IT industry, he writes as a creative outlet and as a way to raise funds for the various causes he supports. You can find some of his work published on www.harshchan.com
