Hello, beautiful readers! This week's Reena's Xploration Challenge #367 focused on banyan trees. We could choose any format we wanted.
Here in South Florida, we have plenty of banyan trees. I have always found them to be majestic. When I was little, between moving from one place to another (my dad was in the Army), we would stop in Miami and visit family. I have a great memory of my sister, half-brother, and half-sister hanging upside down from the banyan tree's roots that had yet to reach the ground. My son, niece, and nephew have also had fun swinging from them back when they were little.
Reena shared with us some folklore as well as how a banyan tree grows. You can read about it here. Suddenly, my view of banyan trees shifted. I had no idea they begin their lives by hitching a ride on trees that already exist, eventually killing the host trees. I've been admiring a murderer all this time! LOL!
So, I've chosen to write two haiku - one for my adoration of the banyan trees and one for the horrific truth of them.
glorious banyans
provide shelter for us all
from sweltering sun
monstrous banyan trees
survival of the fittest
magnificent beasts
Are you inspired to write about the banyan trees? Join us here.
They just represent divergent realities of the world.
ReplyDeleteSo true, Reena! Things/People can both carry light and dark within them. Thanks for stopping by! :-)
DeleteBeautiful haiku capturing the uniqueness of the Banyan tree, Yvette. - Eugi
ReplyDeleteThank you, Eugi! I appreciate your visit. :-)
DeleteI never knew that about these amazing trees, Yvette. Thanks for sharing what you learned. Love the poem! You captured both sides.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jan! I appreciate you stopping by. :-)
DeleteI didn't know that the banyan tree 'ate' its host either. I read somewhere that an old one was like a maze - it was hard to find the center of it, but to ensure its' safety there were supports put up to hold some of the limbs.
ReplyDeleteThere are so ginormous banyan trees in the world. I wouldn't doubt there is at least one that would fall into that category! Thanks for sharing, Jules! :-)
DeleteI didn't know that about them either, Yvette. Still pretty cool looking trees, even if they aren't as nice as the rest of the trees. Lol
ReplyDeleteExactly, Denise! I still love their beauty. Lol! Thanks for sharing, Denise! :-)
DeleteAh, they are parasites effectively, a bit like humans really - grin 😀
ReplyDeleteHaha! You're not wrong! Thanks for visiting, Robbie! :-)
DeleteIt’s Robbie 😉
ReplyDeleteExcellent haiku, Yvette!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susi! I appreciate your visit. :-)
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