Gemotions

He'd tried to be strong. To handle everything. But the relentless demands of his job and the strain on his family had finally caught up. He thought the old birch tree would center him.

He was trembling, his fingers numb. The absence of the tree was a physical blow, a gaping wound in the landscape. He felt a sudden, almost violent, urge to lash out.

He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, to shatter the silence. He started pacing, his footsteps erratic. He struggled to catch his breath.