New growth on an old tree... The green upon the brown creating life and calm. Less than a mile away is the road, but still this tree stands here quietly.

I can hear the cars swoosh by, yet still it is calm where I stand. I, the tree, will remain here for many years to come, adding on to my age with each passing season, accepting life as it happens and each child that passes through the doors of the school nearby without complaint.
A girl sits on one of my branches, silently writing amidst the sounds of her world--the cars on the road, the chattering of her peers not more than fifty yards from her, in an open field.
To her, I represent an oasis of calm, and it is that reason as to why she chose me. Her skirt flutters in the cool summer breeze and she looks up, thinking about something. I know that school is nearly out, and she won't return after this year. It makes me almost sad...but then I realize there will be another group that I can watch grow.

I run a hand along the rough bark of the tree and gaze beyond the edge of the copse. My vision blurs as I reflect upon myself. I realize that I much prefer the calm oasis the tree offers to the bustling busyness that is given by my classmates. I also like how secluded it feels, how I can be alone, yet not alone, at the same time. I am by myself on the tree, yet there are others scattered throughout the copse. It's calming, I guess.
As the breeze blows my hair across my face, I push it away and resume writing. The tree is my subject, and I sink into its mindset again.

I am calm today, although the wind is fierce. The girl upon my branches lays a hand on my skin-although she calls it "bark"- and our minds meld. She speaks-"Hello, tree,"-not disrespectfully, but rather a title, and I return the greeting-"Hello, girl. I am Fierdr."
She nods and tentatively asks for what I have seen. I know that she is here to learn patience, although I doubt she knows her purpose here. I rustle my branches a little, and begin from when I was young, nearly fifty years ago, and the land near me was open and wide. I was one of many more then...and now I am one of few, left as ambience. I do not like it, but that is the way of life, and I must accept it without question. Although I still long for the days of years past, I still look towards the future.

I quickly transcribe what Fierdr shows me into words upon paper, my hands moving quickly and unconsciously. As the years seemingly rush past, I begin to be able to anticipate what comes next--the growth of the city to the point where my school needed to be built. I watch the building go up through the perspective of a tree, and a few years later, portable classrooms are added. Five more years pass, and Fierdr shows me yesterday's events from his view. I quickly jot those down and nod when I finish.
Fierdr expresses a fear he has--"I have watched the forest diminish to these few...I have gone from one of many to one of few...and I fear that I may become one of none."
I sit where I am, unmoving. His words stun me. I stay for a few minutes more, then close my notebook.

The girl lightly hops down from my branches, and walks off. As she crosses the field, I watch her dissolve into nothingness, back to her world. I rustle my branches a bit and settle down for a long while. It is done, I think. She has learned the patience of an old tree.

Slowly, I blink awake as the field and trees fade from my view. "Just a dream..." I say, sighing.
I throw the covers off myself and stand up. As I walk into my closet, I finally glance down at what I'm wearing--the same skirt and shirt as I wore in my dream. Interesting-- I remember falling asleep in my pajamas. Curious, I reach up to touch my hair. As I run my fingertips over my hair, I find that not only is it tangled, but there are bits of leaf in it. My eyes widen, and I run to my journal lying open on my desk.

Its pages are full of what I wrote last night.