You're Not Them You're Us

What are you staring at? ask the remains of Cook's tree.

What are YOU staring at? asks Terence.

Are you made of cement? ask the remains of Cook's tree.

Are you made of beef jerky? asks Terence.

We're the remains of a tree, say the remains of Cook's tree.

Captain Cook's tree, says Terence.

No! Stop right there!  Do you want a lesson? ask the remains of Cook's tree.

No, says Terence. Do YOU want a lesson?

You go first, say the remains of Cook's tree.

I used to live in a palace, says Terence.

Where's the lesson in that? ask the remains of Cook's tree.

I fell off, says Terence. The lesson is you can fall off a palace.

That couldn't happen to us, say the remains of Cook's tree.

I bet it could if Saint Joseph was after you with a hammer, says Terence. What's your lesson?

Right, say the remains of Cook's tree. Imagine it's 1777. Imagine you're a tree on a point above a beach on an island. You see a ship approaching.

Good lesson, says Terence.

It's not finished, say the remains of Cook's tree. Some men come ashore. Do things. You don't know what. You're not watching.

Maybe I'm cooking a fish, says Terence.

You're not THEM you're US, say the remains of the tree.

Who's imagining it? asks Terence.

You, say the remains of the tree, but you won't learn anything if you imagine you're cooking a fish.

Okay! says Terence. I'm not cooking a fish. What am I doing?.

What trees do, say the remains of the tree.

And then what? asks Terence.

A man comes up and nails a plaque to you, with his name on it.

Not to me, says Terence. I'm made of cement. But I could have nailed it to you. You'd have known it would happen if you were watching me make it. That's a really good lesson. See what's going to happen, then run away.

A tree can't run away, say the remains of tree. That's the difference.

You're safe now, says Terence. Thanks for the lesson.

But the remains of the tree don't believe Terence has learned it.