‘Genius in a Bottle’ Prompted Writing Challenge

Deeply Rooted

GiaB writing prompt #23

You stand resolute. Calling for the world to hear your pained, silent voice.

The silent population of the planet we call home. Trees.

Like their rhyming cousins bees, where would we be without them?

Gasping. Grasping. Clasping.

We don’t hear their screams. We don’t see them move. We don’t feel their pain.

Whether or not we forget, they remain very useful to us. They detox the air we breathe, but we don’t see that. Well it’s a high expectation since many of us don’t pay much attention to the liver which detoxes our own bodies. Our liver only detoxes us. Trees detox the planet for everyone.

When we lose our liver, we hope for a transplant that someone else grows for us. We don’t pay as much attention for growing trees to transplant the ones we destroy. That’s how we end up with deforestation you see.

Like the other lifeforms that make our life blissful, trees are devoted to us. Oh sure a puppy’s affections are much more upfront. They run and jump, wag their tail and get excited.

Admittedly, trees are more subtle. They don’t approach you, but they don’t turn away either. They don’t embrace you thought they do envelop you with shade. They don’t give you their time, though they do give us their bodies for our purposes.

Yet we don’t think of them often, do we?

We can though, by writing about them. By taking a little moment to appreciate these mighty beings that exist in populations that dwarf ours. Trees that exist so that we may too.

The Challenge

We invite writers to produce a piece of poetry, fiction or non-fiction on the theme of Trees.

For this prompt we are looking for pieces focussed on trees as they exist on this planet. One may wish to take the line of the role of trees in our current environmental emergency. Or one may choose to marvel at great collections of trees in spreading forests around the world. One may chose to recall memories of playing in and around trees as children. Or one may relive moments with trees in their own histories. There is no prescription for the direction to take, as long as we take the time to remember trees as they are: good, bad or otherwise.

This prompt will close on Wednesday 7th July, 2021 at 9:00AM PST/PDT. At which time, the next prompt will be released.

The Guidelines

We cannot publish pieces or reward writers who self publish or publish at another publication, so those pieces have to remain external to the challenge. Only pieces submitted to Genius in a Bottle will be considered for the challenge. If inviting other writers from outside the publication, please ensure they are aware of this.

Poetry is to be limited to 30 lines but can be in any style. Fiction and non-fiction submissions are to be capped at 750 words.

Please refer to the prompt in the subtitle. Feel free to copy this as a template: GiaB prompt # [insert prompt number and theme here].

When submitting, please ensure that one of the 5 tags is GiaBprompt. Please ensure a second tag is Poetry, fiction, or non-fiction, as appropriate.

We would like to become exposed to writers and pieces that you have enjoyed in all of Medium. Please tag up to ten writers whose pieces you have enjoyed recently, or who you feel may enjoy participating in this challenge.

For further information pertaining to the challenge, please refer to the rules and guidelines.

And away we go. We look forward to enjoying the paradise of the written word with you all.

Victor Sarkin

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