Palm Tree

“Man, am I sore.  I have never in all my days seen anything like that.  What in the world got into those people?  One minute, I’m just standing here catching rays. The next I’m as naked as Eve in the garden.   Look at all the holes up here in my top.  That's where those crazies got the fronds. And if you don’t think that doesn’t hurt, you’ve got another thing coming.”

“Anyway, earlier today I’m just standing here, well, I AM a tree after all. when I hear this incredible noise coming from down in the valley  It sounds like the village people got into the wine again.  And I ain’t wrong.  Here comes this huge mob up the sheep path yelling and dancing. I heard something about a big festival happening.  Most of the time, I don't care what they do.  Frankly, people are only good for dropping dates on, you know?  But the party was coming my way"

“Boy, was it. Someone yelled; ‘There he is!  Clear a passageway for him!' The men started climbing me and started ripping my fronds off, throwing them down to the crowd below.   Man, did that hurt.  Then they started lining up along the path and holding up the fronds, waving them like fans. Others were rubbing them on the path, maybe to get rid of the sheep smell, I don’t know.  There was music and swaying and everyone seemed happy.  

"A few of them were trying to tramp the path smooth but there really wasn’t time.  Somebody called for everyone to move aside.  Then this group of men came from the other direction. One of them was riding a small donkey like he was something, with several others walking alongside.  The crowd acted like he was a long lost leader or something, yelling some word I’d never heard before. Hosanna?   After a while, The procession went on past me and on down the village, leaving me like the remains of a storm.  At least it's quiet.”

“ Gee. I wonder how the party turned out.”