Beneath the Barley Tree

Roots go deep into the ground, sucking up all the water given. But what of those who surround those roots—the roots of that absurdly large barley tree? Oh, no one cares for those wilted flowers. But to actually see them, you’d need more than just a microscope, for they feel less than microscopic. Why haven’t they received water yet? Are they just unloved, wilting under the shadow of a barley tree that refuses to acknowledge their existence? And those who adore and admire it will only see the barley tree because the barley tree is all they came to see. So when the flowers soon wither and the tree continues to stand tall, what of it? Will people miss them or even care that they’ve withered? Or will they continue to look upon that barley tree with adoration, even though it neglected those lovely flowers’ presence?