bethany, texas

there were trees by the side of the road and through the trees ran the power lines.

the trees were there first, but sometime during the existence and growth of these climbing oaks the farm houses and the tack and feed store needed more power. kerosene lamps and gas stoves are no longer popular appliances in these parts. these days the people need immediate. the flip of a switch lights up a room. the click of a button takes you to your audience sitting in front of blinking screens in their private seats tens, hundreds, thousands, millions of miles away.

they all needed power.

in the process of bringing power to ida mae's brand new electric hair drier the power of the towering oaks was diminished and split. literally split. their branches reached up and up but the middles of the trees were missing. the branches and leaves that were so abundant and green on the oaks across the street were replaced by a wire. a thick wire pulsing and radiating with enough wattage to power all the houses in a 15 mile radius.

the trees grew around it. giant gaping holes had just become part of growth. something was missing and it wouldn't be filled again. it was a violent and traumatic disruption in the life of such strength. but they just kept on living. they just kept on growing.

when i saw the trees my mind went blank and i felt the holes i had in me and i wondered when i would ever fill them again.

and i was glad that i wasn't a tree. how many times have you seen a tree get up and change?