The Tree

Once upon a time there was a tree.

For nearly 100 years it stood. Tall. Resilient. Firm against the wind.

But ants arrived. Tunnelled chambers deep into the heartwood.

Woodpeckers appeared. Drilled holes in search of ants.

Wind returned. This time a century of life fell.

Now, in a long-forgotten woodpecker hole, a green heart beats. Again.

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White spruce   Picea glauca