Sticks and Stones, by Adam Moss
Sydney Gardens Tree Weekender writing competition — this piece was selected by our volunteer judges as worthy to be included on a long list. Competition entrants were asked to write a poem or prose piece of 250 words or fewer on the theme of trees in parks and public gardens, as well as identify the local park or garden, the trees in which inspired them.
She struck me with a stick, until it fell apart in her hands. Who was she to hit me?
I am the God of Death. I was born into fire, blood, and splendour, into a world of sacrifice, gold, and worship of my divinity. I watched as my fathers were taken by men in red who spoke of Rome. The sagas sing of me. My roots descend to Niflheim, my branches bask in the winds of Asgard and the breath of the Aesir. I saw England forged; I saw the church built in my grove. People sang of a new Lord and buried their dead beneath a head of stone. I heard the marching boots of Harold Godwinson and the hoofs of a single conqueror on the hills of Sussex. My bows won the hundred years war, for I am the victor of Agincourt. My smoke burnt men’s lungs to ash, even Kings bow before me. I bore the brunt of a cannonball in an English feud; I housed the homeless in my hollow centre, my door is open to all.
So why hit me with a stick? Why did she cry, “Why should you live so long!”
Time stopped. My roots tensed around the bodies in the yard.
“It is my burden,” I said to the wind.
It took days for her to hear me. She saw I was evergreen; she saw my limbs re-grow from the earth, and she knew. She too, loved me.
St. George’s Church (churchyard), Crowhurst, Surrey.
Adam Moss is a writer from Surrey who has recently finished studying a masters in Professional Writing at Falmouth University. This is his first competition.
Read other long listed pieces here. From 24 November, discover whether this piece made the shortlist — you can listen to it using the Echoes.xyz app either within or around Sydney Gardens in Bath or remotely.
Find out about all the events running on-line or in Sydney Gardens over the Tree Weekender on 27 & 28 November 2021, and look out especially for the Celebratory Finale Showcase at which the Competition winners and runners-up will be announced.
With special thanks to Dr Richard White and undergraduate students in Participatory Media at Bath Spa University for their support in making the geo-located audio pieces.
