Inspired by Atreyee Gupta’s essay published in ISSUE 08.

“At first all I see are the giant oaks and stately spruces, the way the manzanita branches distort themselves while the birches guard over this viridescent empery. They are a gleeful bunch of misfits, cradling each other’s roots, vying for the slightest glimpse of light, growing, maturing, falling, and rotting away to make room for others. It is a masterpiece of cooperation, a symphony built from relationships. I am in danger of emerging from my protective shell, in danger of falling in love with a hollow redwood. Oak, spruce, and birch all seem to sing a springtime song of affirmation. I want to sing with them.”

Read Atreyee’s full piece.