THE FALLING STARS

Like falling stars I could see on the village the bright tail of the bombs.
The piercing sound of the alarm lasted all night long.
The next morning a long row of grieving evaquees paraded in front of me.

(The Olive Tree Tales)

HIS ENEMY

Silent and motionless, hidden behind my trunk he was waiting.
He knew they were going to come.
When they arrived she was laughing loud but as soon as she saw him she froze.
The sound of a shot and then a woman cry.
His enemy was dead.
He walked towards her and shoted again.
He died looking at her.

(The Olive Tree Tales)

THE ROSEBUD

The night before it wasn´t there. Then, in the morning, a scented red rosebud appeared on a bush not far.
They arrived that was nearly sunset; he picked the rosebud and gifted it to her. She pinned it on the deep neckline of her summer dress.
I could not think of a more beautiful place to die on.

(The Olive Tree Tales)

THE NUT TREE

I was still very young when I saw them the first time.
Not far from me there was a huge nut tree and they collected around him.
It was a warm night of June; they danced naked under the moonlight at the furious rhythm of drums played by big black men. Then they made love.
The nut tree explained me that it was a feast for the renewing of life.

(The Olive Tree Tales)

KINGS

Their clothes were poor, they were dirty and not all of them owned a pair of shoes.
They were very young, still children I would say, already used to the hard work in the fields.
But that day they were laughing and running, they looked like kings: they had a rag ball.

(The Olive Tree Tales)

THE WIZARD

It looked like he was stealing the red of the poppies, the golden yellow of the ripe wheat, the dark green of my leaves... I don´t know how he could do it, maybe he was a wizard, he had to be.
The only thing I know is that when he finished, the canvass had a soul.

(The Olive Tree Tales)

THE REST

Every afternoon he was coming there to rest after the hard work in the fields.
He sat under my leaves, crossed his arms and enjoyed the last sun rays with a smile of bliss.
The deep lines on his faced showed the hard life he had. I think he was quite old.
One time he sat longer.
The night came but he still was there with his smile on his face.
He looked asleep. He was dead.

(The Olive Tree Tales)