To be so tenderly dibbled into this soft scorched earth,

My young seedling heart sings in triumph!

To lie in a 12 x 12 grid with my dear brothers and sisters,

Planted with such care upon this California hillside!

My youthful xylem, so newly differentiated into secondary tissues,

Transports with pride this precious water

From the fire-torn landscape to my quivering needles!

New Life!

New life in a forest ravaged by flames!

New life in a forest desecrated by the unflinching hand of natural disasters!

New life in a forest with a greatly altered C:N ratio!

My meristem aches with the mournful memories of my forefathers and foremothers,

Burned in their pursuit of the sky and sun overhead!

Burned through their very heartwood!

Pain! Agony! Death! Destruction! Misery!

And yet…

Rebirth through dibbler! Resurrection through hoedad!

May the slow-release fertilizer packets be kind to us, fellow seedlings!

May our capillary action make us vigorous!

May our fitness be higher than the clouds above!

May we have at least an 80% success rate!

This lil Jeffrey’s found himself a home!