{"id":44,"date":"2022-08-04T12:59:20","date_gmt":"2022-08-04T16:59:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreviewxii\/chapter\/the-butterfly\/"},"modified":"2023-06-25T12:49:34","modified_gmt":"2023-06-25T16:49:34","slug":"trees-and-power-lines","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/chapter\/trees-and-power-lines\/","title":{"raw":"Trees and Power Lines","rendered":"Trees and Power Lines"},"content":{"raw":"I start as something small,\r\n\r\nno more than a seed.\r\n\r\nThrown against the dirt, yes,\r\n\r\nbut king amongst the weeds.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nI send my roots out searching,\r\n\r\nsoldiers on the hunt:\r\n\r\nthey raze the ground around them\r\n\r\nwith weapons bold and blunt.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWe grow so slow together,\r\n\r\nmy vassal weeds and I.\r\n\r\nWe reach our aching limbs out,\r\n\r\ntoward the ever-hidden sky.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAnd when we break the surface,\r\n\r\nI sit alone and stare\r\n\r\nat the towering pines above us\r\n\r\nwith their lords and legionnaires.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nI will stand among them.\r\n\r\nAbove them, even so.\r\n\r\nI turn my eye to ready troops,\r\n\r\nand bellow to them: \u201cgrow!\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nI cast my roots out farther,\r\n\r\nwe toil, pillage, steal;\r\n\r\nanything to be stronger,\r\n\r\nto make my kingdom real.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWe create a mighty nation\u2014\r\n\r\nwhat a powerful thing am I!\r\n\r\nI lord above the weeds and dirt,\r\n\r\nking of all but sky.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nI turn my hungry gaze to them,\r\n\r\nthose patronizing pines!\r\n\r\nThere they stand beneath me,\r\n\r\nafraid to cross my lines.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBut in my glory, wonder,\r\n\r\nand triumphant bouts of praise,\r\n\r\nI do not hear the thunder,\r\n\r\nI do not feel their gaze.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nI look amongst the leaves then,\r\n\r\nand see my fool mistake.\r\n\r\nI have crossed the lines\r\n\r\nno king should ever break.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nI see the enemy approach,\r\n\r\nhis weapon firm in hand.\r\n\r\nHe cuts my crown and kingdom,\r\n\r\nhe carves off half my land.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nIt does not hurt exactly,\r\n\r\nfor I do not feel pain.\r\n\r\nBut something in me quivers,\r\n\r\nand withers all the same.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nI am not a titan.\r\n\r\nI\u2019m barely even strong.\r\n\r\nToday my hopes have fallen,\r\n\r\nand all my dreams are gone.","rendered":"

I start as something small,<\/p>\n

no more than a seed.<\/p>\n

Thrown against the dirt, yes,<\/p>\n

but king amongst the weeds.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I send my roots out searching,<\/p>\n

soldiers on the hunt:<\/p>\n

they raze the ground around them<\/p>\n

with weapons bold and blunt.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We grow so slow together,<\/p>\n

my vassal weeds and I.<\/p>\n

We reach our aching limbs out,<\/p>\n

toward the ever-hidden sky.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And when we break the surface,<\/p>\n

I sit alone and stare<\/p>\n

at the towering pines above us<\/p>\n

with their lords and legionnaires.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I will stand among them.<\/p>\n

Above them, even so.<\/p>\n

I turn my eye to ready troops,<\/p>\n

and bellow to them: \u201cgrow!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I cast my roots out farther,<\/p>\n

we toil, pillage, steal;<\/p>\n

anything to be stronger,<\/p>\n

to make my kingdom real.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We create a mighty nation\u2014<\/p>\n

what a powerful thing am I!<\/p>\n

I lord above the weeds and dirt,<\/p>\n

king of all but sky.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I turn my hungry gaze to them,<\/p>\n

those patronizing pines!<\/p>\n

There they stand beneath me,<\/p>\n

afraid to cross my lines.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But in my glory, wonder,<\/p>\n

and triumphant bouts of praise,<\/p>\n

I do not hear the thunder,<\/p>\n

I do not feel their gaze.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I look amongst the leaves then,<\/p>\n

and see my fool mistake.<\/p>\n

I have crossed the lines<\/p>\n

no king should ever break.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I see the enemy approach,<\/p>\n

his weapon firm in hand.<\/p>\n

He cuts my crown and kingdom,<\/p>\n

he carves off half my land.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It does not hurt exactly,<\/p>\n

for I do not feel pain.<\/p>\n

But something in me quivers,<\/p>\n

and withers all the same.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I am not a titan.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m barely even strong.<\/p>\n

Today my hopes have fallen,<\/p>\n

and all my dreams are gone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"menu_order":6,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":["aurora-ryder"],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[50],"contributor":[81],"license":[],"class_list":["post-44","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless","contributor-aurora-ryder"],"part":27,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/44","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/44\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":260,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/44\/revisions\/260"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/27"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/44\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=44"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=44"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=44"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}