An allspice tree ,when I cease to be.

Afterlife options could hardly ever be considered a sane lunch-time topic. But it so happened one day that our office lunch group conversation rose up in spins & swirls of mystical musings that came to rest finally upon the turn-yourself-into-a-tree-after-you-die topic. Beautiful and degradable earthen urns that encased the seeds of trees where your ashes would go into, so that once it’s planted in the soil you eternally become a part of the tree as it sprouts and grows. The beauty of the idea struck my soul so hard that I could almost envision my tree-self, rooted beside a white thicket fence blooming fragrantly in green profusion, with perhaps a few cows mooing in the back drop to enhance the pastoral effect.

And what did I visualise myself as? A little allspice tree… One of the first plants that I’d ever fallen in love with. I have fond memories of the allspice plant that stood sturdy and fragrant on the gravelly laterite on our front porch at home years ago.  It was amazing to watch it grow from a sapling into a sturdy shrub. The unforgettable instance when for the first time I plucked a leaf, crushed it between my fingers and smelt the soulful aroma of spices that arose from it. I could smell cloves, cinnamon, poppy and nutmeg, all in that leaf, with perhaps a sweet hint of cardamom too.  The countless times I’ve tweaked my recipes just so that I could sneak in a fresh sprig of allspice into the pan! I must say that the strong foodie factor in me also contributes greatly to this gourmet choice of a tree for my afterlife.

Very few things spell sense these days and this is one of the most sensible and perhaps one of the most beautiful things I have heard in a while. Never before had I felt clearer about my choice of a paradise. An allspice tree , when I cease to be.

Go Green Forever.

Pic courtesy: http://featherwings1638.deviantart.com/art/Mother-Earth-454247151