CALL ME SYCAMORE
I am a Sycamore of the noble Schoenwasser manor house. Other residents come and go, but I reside here with life-long tenancy. My siblings and I have been landscaped to adorn this old home. We were planted in exact proportions, defining a rectangular space that extends from the manor house down to the park pond. Architects expect us to stand side by side in rows, tidy and dapper, much like soldiers at attention. Gardeners clip and prune us, doing all they can to keep us in line.
I have never understood what people find so attractive about the straight and unbent. We, the Sycamores of Schoenwasser, have our own minds.
We do our best to twist and turn at every bend of our limbs. Within, we are free to decide where the next bud will sprout and when the next leaf will fall. Even the shrubs and herbs around us break out and grow as they please. I envy the children playing at my feet. Despite their regimen of discipline, they romp about, make pranks, and play hide and seek. To the human eye, I may appear obedient and obliging, but I have my own ways. My leafy kin and I stretch our legs as we please. We intertwine our limbs and hold each other’s hands. We hide around knotty corners and seek the touches of those we endear.
Over the years, we have become much like the proprietors who try to tame us. We see their comings and goings and witness their flirtations and courtships. Oh, we dare to do that too! We laugh and dance. To the sweet sounds of our own inner chords, we move and sway about. We let our limbs flow as we please, our hands grasp what we desire. Our hearts dream of a life less encumbered and more unruled. You see, our greatest strength is our ability to adapt to our surroundings and to the people who shape us. Human traits we now carry within us.
Home:
Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia, Krefeld, Schoenwasserpark
Tree species:
Platanus x hispanica
Tree family:
Platanaceae, platanus
Common Names:
Sycamore, planetree
Motivation:
Once a year, in springtime, a market is held at Schoenwasserpark in Krefeld, Germany. The historic plantings in the park create spaces where herbs, grasses, trees, and people interact. Here, the teachings seem to be mutual: people learn about plants and plants learn about people.