The root flair seems to accommodate me really well. I didn’t leave anytime soon.

The Fig and Me

Tiago Miranda

It was like an auditorium. The buffer walls were made of lignin and cellulose, and the seats of leaf litter. Its canopy moved in harmony whilst blown by the wind.

When I looked up, I could see ravens and lorikeets competing for who had the best symphony of all. The root flair seems to accommodate me really well. I didn’t leave anytime soon. Instead, I felt embraced by the large tentacles of a shy octopus, resembling my mom’s lap when I was young.

I am still looking for the origins of this huge fig, but I might just contemplate for now. And believe it or not, I couldn’t find any better shelter than this on one rainy day.

Author bio: Tiago is an independent researcher and arborist born in Brazil. He spent his adulthood in New Zealand and now lives in Australia.

Location: Botanic Park, Adelaide, SA, Australia