f i l m

The dead man's daughter asked
why is no one crying at his funeral?

a big sadness is dry.

he became a tree, sent messages through parrots and bats, gave flowers, leaked sap,
broke boughs, stole water.

it wasn't enough

the cyclone hit during drought.
the tree, uprooted, died protecting them.
his children gathered worms from his dirt root cavity.
planted a seedling,
helped mother retrieve the car from under rubble.

She drove them away.