Tree Tuesday – Tree Sits Next to The Singing Shimmers

As you read this story, zoom over to Youtube and listen to “The Cats Meow” by The Singing Shimmers

The late afternoon sun, a buttery yellow, filtered through the leaves of the ancient oak, dappling the forest floor in shifting patterns. Shimmers, her silver hair catching the light like spun moonbeams, knelt beside a young sapling, gently misting its leaves with a nutrient solution. A soft hum escaped her lips, then bloomed into a quiet, melodious tune.

She was singing “The Cat’s Meow,” a wistful, tender song she’d composed years ago, long before the Great Quiet descended upon the human cities and the trees began to reclaim their voices. Her voice, like the rustling leaves, was a soothing murmur, full of warmth and a quiet longing.

(Shimmers, softly singing) “I’ve spent a lifetime dodging the rain Watching the alley cats play their game Keeping my distance, keeping my cool Never was one for the heart of a fool…”

As she sang, her fingers traced the delicate veins of the sapling’s leaves, a silent communion. Her eyes, usually so focused on the health of her arboreal charges, were faraway, lost in the melody.

“…But then you sauntered in, smooth as a song Right where a rhythm like mine belongs You didn’t whistle and you didn’t shout You just gave me something to dream about.”

A rustle of leaves, a familiar crunch of boots on moss, and then a rich, warm baritone joined her, effortlessly weaving into the melody.

(Both, harmonizing gently) “You’ve got that slow-burn, fireplace glow A steady hand when the winds start to blow I was a high-wire act, balanced on pride Until you offered to stay by my side.”

Shimmers startled, a delighted gasp escaping her, and turned to see him. Branch, his usual weathered smile softened by the shared music, stood just behind her, his basket of freshly pruned branches at his feet. His eyes, the color of rich earth, held hers, full of an affection as deep and rooted as the trees they tended.

(Both, looking at each other, voices growing a little stronger) “Now I’m discarding my sharpest of claws I’m trading the ‘maybe’ for ‘just because’ You’re the first one to see past the velvet and fur And find the heart beneath the purr.”

They stood there for a moment, the final notes of the verse hanging in the air, intertwined like ancient vines. The sapling seemed to lean towards them, as if listening intently to the music of their joined voices. Branch reached out a hand, not to touch her, but to gently cup a leaf on the very sapling she had been tending.

“A beautiful song, Shimmers,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “And a perfect one for a Tree Tuesday. Even the littlest ones appreciate a good melody.”

Shimmers smiled, a genuine, joyful expression that smoothed the usual worry lines from her brow. “It’s even better when you join in, Branch,” she replied, her eyes twinkling. “You always did have a way of finding the right note.”

He chuckled, a sound like dry leaves skittering in the wind. “Just following your lead, my dear. You’re the one who taught me to listen to the whispers of the forest… and to the songs of a caregiver’s heart.”

They stood together, bathed in the soft sunlight, the quiet hum of the forest their only audience. The melody might have ended, but the unspoken song between them continued to play, deep in the heart of the woods.