Talking To Trees

Is not necessarily a one-way conversation

Deborah Barchi
2 min readOct 20, 2021

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Photo by Ocean rahan on Unsplash

I think some of the most exciting news in science these days is the discovery that trees talk. They literally communicate with each other through a vast underground network that allows them to care and watch out for each other.

This doesn’t really surprise me. Well, it does, actually, yet when I first read about tree-talk, I felt the thrill of having a secret theory I had never shared with anyone suddenly and delightfully proved.

Ever since I was little, I have loved talking to trees.

Even today, taking my usual four-mile walk along the country roads in my neighborhood, I could not help exclaiming to the golden-leaved trees ,“How gorgeous you look! The sunshine today is making you glow like warm honey!”

I can’t say that I stopped to hear their reply. At least not a spoken reply directed to me.

However, a sudden gust of wind shook the tree as I spoke. Down came a cascade of bright yellow leaves. Each leaf, I swear, seemed to sail my way, swirl around my feet, and then settle a few steps ahead of me.

I think that trees don’t just talk. I think they listen too.

Some of the sounds they hear must frighten them. The crackle of a fire. The rumble of a bulldozer. And certainly…

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Deborah Barchi
Deborah Barchi

Written by Deborah Barchi

Deborah Barchi has recently retired from her career as a librarian and now has time to read, explore nature, and write poetry and essays.

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