Arbor Vitae—Latin for Tree of Life. But in truth, aren’t all trees?
Of all the things people give thanks for when they go around the gravy-laden table, you usually don’t hear, “I’m thankful for trees.” Doesn’t happen. But considering that a large tree can provide a day’s supply of oxygen for up to four people, perhaps we should. Think about that next time you inhale.
J.R.R. Tolkien fans may recall that in “The Lord of the Rings” the Ents were a race of ancient, wise, giant Middle-earth human-like trees, or tree-like humans—shepherds of the forest and allies of the free peoples of Middle-earth.
Richard Power’s lyrical new novel, “The Overstory,” doesn’t contain any Ent beings, but the concept of trees as majestic, ancient, and wise prevails.
Hauntingly beautiful stories-within-stories, the book weaves together separate eco-activist characters, connecting them into the natural world of trees, and eventually to each other.
“What you make from a tree should be at least as miraculous as what you cut down.” (“The Overstory)
For me, “The Overstory” unified themes from several excellent non-fiction reads: on interconnectivity and tree language (“The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate”); the tragic blight that wiped out almost 4 billion American chestnut trees and their reincarnation research (“American Chestnut: The Life, Death, and Rebirth of the Perfect Tree”); the other-worldly enchantment of tree sounds and songs and the ecosystem within the crowns (“The Song of Trees: Stories from Nature’s Great Connectors”); and the steadfast dedication of scientists, arborists, forestry stewards, and others who understand the magic of the wood-beings (“Lab Girl”).
The season has now moved from fall’s fashion show with its outerwear of brilliant reds, yellows and oranges to the seasonal stark beauty of bare limbs and willowy needled branches. Tree treasures are all about us still.
Inhale. Exhale. Give thanks.
Winter Trees (William Carlos-Williams)
All the complicated details
of the attiring and
the disattiring are completed!
A liquid moon
moves gently among
the long branches.
Thus having prepared their buds
against a sure winter
the wise trees
stand sleeping in the cold.