A New Tree

Like a dragon guarding its hoarde of gold, this tree was keeping watch. Unlike the dragon, however, the tree didn't collect its own pile of rocks. Instead it inherited them, taking them from a people long gone. It may have been more fun, for the tree, to have collected the rocks itself (himself?). It may have been nicer to the peoples long gone to have simply stayed away.

Yet, they don't build things anymore like they used to. The Mayans may have left us a pile of rocks, but what are people going to see when they look back at us? We probably won't even have a tree left to keep guard, for the land will be poisoned and dead.

Of course, that would make it easier for tourists to get around. Instead of ducking their way through the jungle, they'll just have to watch out for mile-high piles of refuse.