The Loving Tree By Janet Maika’i Rudolph

Once there was a tree who loved two young children, twins, a boy and a girl.

Thay came everyday to play under her canopy. 

Gather her leaves and play fairies of the forest.

Climb her trunk and play in her branches

And sleep with their backs against her trunk

They loved the tree and the tree loved them. 

Time went by and the twins grew older.

They didn’t come to visit the tree as often.

One day when they did come, the tree asked them to play but they responded they needed money because they wanted to go on dates.

The tree responded, take my apples to sell.  But leave enough behind for the squirrels and birds and other animals so they can eat too. Leave enough behind for the seeds.

They stayed away a long time.

But then they returned and the tree asked them to play.

We both need a house, said the twins. In fact, we need two houses. Can you help us get those houses. They are for our families.

The tree answered, take my branches to build your houses.  But be careful to leave enough branches so the birds can nest, so my leaves can be healthy, so my trunk can continue to grow.

They took the branches.

And they stayed away for a long time.

And when they finally returned the tree was so happy to see them.

Come and play the tree said to them.

We don’t play in the way we used to.  We are happy to sit under your branches and have picnic, but we have brought our children. They would like to play with you.

And from behind their backs, four children emerged.  They ran to the tree giggling and happy and delighted to climb her branches and play around her trunk. The adults including spouses set up a blanket and a picnic basket and spent the afternoon.  They even ate some of Her apples.

The tree was delighted.  They did this on a regular basis. But eventually the children grew up and left and the adults didn’t come as often. One day they did return and the tree as always asked them to play.

We are too old and tired to play. Our work is finished, our children are starting families of their own.

Come, said, the tree, let me soothe your hearts and help you to find peace here in my shade. 

Place your backs against my trunk.  Sit if you can, if not stand.  Feel my energy, my life blood which parallels your own. Let me feel your beating heart. You can practice feeling my pulsing sap. Together we will sit and enjoy each other’s company.  And we will both be loved and we will both be happy. 

Author’s notes:  Several weeks ago, FAR posted some very powerful poems from Rebecca Rogerson about healing from childhood abuse. In her poem, From Mountain Life she wrote, “Our childhood stories become our adult lives: The Giving Tree who gave it all.”

I was particularly intrigued that she referenced The Giving Tree, the beloved book by Shel Silverstein. As a survivor of childhood abuse myself, I, also, have always found the book to be one that exists in a universe that supports the concept of abusive relationships. When reading Rogerson’s poem, I remembered that I had written a response maybe 30 years ago to this book which I called the The Loving Tree. I could not find my original, but I do remember the core of it which is what I have shared here.

The Giving Tree lives in a universe of linear time. Although designed to give a sense of hope, the tree ends up as a stump and the boy as an old, lonely man. When we ask a person to give everything of themselves, it not damages the person but everyone in their orbit. I knew that intuitively as a child even as I was powerless at the time to do anything about it. Nature, creation, life, healing exists in a circular time where renewal is possible. 

It the ending was a tree stump, hope for me would see it covered with insects and decomposing with seeds sprouting from the fertility that process was creating. The old man would be surrounded by children, his own family or those from the neighborhood and tending to the seedlings. Nurturing, reciprocity would be the adjectives I look for rather than taking and giving. 

#Share their stories. Since this is a short blogpost I add this addendum to keep the spirit of this theme in motion. There are updates and an addition.

As of this writing, Mahmoud Khalil is still in jail in Louisiana. He did not get to see the birth of his child. As far as I know, he hasn’t gotten to see his newborn child at all.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is still incarcerated in El Salvador. The administration is hell-bent on “othering” Garcia.

It reminds me of how women are treated after a rape. “She must have been asking for it!” In court she will be asked, “what were you wearing?” “did you flirt?” as if that was germane to her being raped. They are digging up any dirt they can find on Garcia. Who among us can withstand that kind of pressure from the power of our federal government?

Merwil Gutiérrez is also still incarcerated in El Salvador  

Rümeysa Öztürk was released after 6 weeks of harsh incarceration in Louisiana. She still faces what will likely be a long legal maze.

To add to #ShareTheirStories: Jeanette Vizguerra-Ramirez  Jeanette was targeted in Trump’s first term in 2017. She spent three months living in sanctuary in a Denver church to avoid being deported and separated from her family. She is now both a mother and a grandmother.

Originally from Mexico, she has been an outspoken advocate for immigration reform. While Vizguerra has actively organized for two decades around the safety and security of immigrant families, her activism has reached outside of immigrant rights.  She has publicly supported the rights and safety for Muslims, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Queer individuals, young people and survivors of police brutality.  

She was recognized as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world for her work.

After living in the US for 30 years, Jeanette now faces deportation to Mexico and separation from her children.

She was arrested on March 17^th. There has been back and forth court rulings. As of now her deportation is halted by court order. When she was arrested, she was placed in shackles and an ICE officer said, “We finally got you.”

Think about that statement for a moment. They have done all they can to dehumanize her on social media. Including posting a photo of her on X with cuffs and a belly chain. Former ICE Denver field director John Fabbricatore that celebrated Vizguerra’s arrest and displayed screenshots of Vizguerra’s Facebook posts that were critical of Trump. ICE  Even writing this without  seeing the photo make me feel sick.

Vizguerra-Ramirez’s lawyer noted this in her petition for release writing, “The way Respondents publicly celebrated their apprehension of Ms. Vizguerra-Ramirez, and substantially compromised her ability to have a fair hearing on her claim for persecution-based protections, is likely to chill the speech of other immigrants opposed to the government’s immigration policies and practices.” They also wrote that this targeting violates her First and Fifth Amendment right.

Of the five people noted here only one is out of jail. None have been charged with a crime. Given how many hundreds, even thousands of people Trump has arrested and will arrest without due process, this is a very poor record.  Because most of the arrestees do not garner public attention, it is hard to understand just how dire the situation is.