Now you find yourself nestled in loosely packed soil. Being a seed, you begin the slow process for which you are famous. You're just floating around in this sea of particles, which is not a conducive state for anchoring a large tree. Your first job is to stabilize your position and reach out for food and water. If you succeed in this, you'll send skyward the delicate shoot that will be the trunk. If not, you'll dry out and die. These activites are all rich sources of metaphor, but not for you. You really are a seed planted in fertile soil. Your metaphors will have to come from elsewhere. You struggle like a newly married couple trying to make a place in the world, trying to start a branch for your ancient family trees. Your struggle is much like that. You do not know it, but you will succeed. In the process, however, you will become something very different. You will become a tree. There are no successful seeds, there are only trees.
One part Mission Impossible, one part Being There, three parts Scott. I liked the last line very much.
Posted by: peefer | December 20, 2005 at 08:25
Very cool.. the last line nails it for me.
Posted by: toadman | December 20, 2005 at 08:58
Good one.
Posted by: Susan | December 20, 2005 at 09:47
Your last line is one I wished I wrote. As an arrogant ass, I rarely think that about others' writing. Be proud. It's very very good.
Posted by: Bob | December 20, 2005 at 23:14
"... but not for you." is rich! the newly married couple metaphor is also very evocative. But then why should I need to pick out the successful seeds of this exquisite tree which looks good in its entirety?
Posted by: Shankari | December 21, 2005 at 02:27