BARREN

There, where nothing grows or flowers than the short withered grass, swept and swayed by the strong winds. Vastness of open and solitude grounds untouched by the human steps. Just the road winding and losing itself in the far distance of the planes. No sounds, just blank colours here and there, changing the picture of the scenery. The eagle flies in the far distance to give a sign of life still left in these lands. A barren land, yet filled with strange sensations, leaving you disturbed and wondering. How can this piece of land embrace so much loneliness and fill your heart with sadness and a longing gaze. The wind dishevels the air, trying to find its way to the distant mountain tops. There, in the vast emptiness of nothing, it stands alone – a tree with “bucket” full of green leaves. It blossoms and grows in the spring. It withers and sleeps in the frosts of winter, waiting for someone to caress its leaves, waiting for a bird to nest in its branches or a stranger to pass by, looking, hoping and longing in its solitude - abandoned by all other growing things to survive alone in this barren land.

And the people decided to build a road, a road right next to it, so it wouldn’t feel lonely. And now and then some farm men would pass by the tree, but their road seldom leading them to these lands. The road stretched open and empty, leaving the space around even more barren and lonely. The days stretched longer and lost their count.

A traveler once found his way in these lands. He had been walking long miles on foot, lost and searching. Nobody knew where he came from and nobody met him. He was travelling alone by day and night. It was a burning summer afternoon - the ground cracking by the dryness and the heat. The traveler saw in the distance some shape growing higher above the ground and all around just spaces of empty lands. He felt desperate, but kept walking. Reaching the shape, he realized it was a green tree, strangely kept its green freshness in the intensity of the haze. He approached the tree and set down to rest his body on the ground next to it. Took off his shoes and laid his back against the trunk of the tree. He felt relieved and rested his head back. The traveler gave a sigh of hopelessness and humility. He closed his eyes and silently uttered: “Let me share your solitude”.