Altered Potential — Friday Fictioneers

Title: Altered Potential
Word count: 100 words


Takoda drove his truck on the wide ribbon of black asphalted four-lane highway. Power lines echoed the roads curves, slashing black streaks across the brilliant blue sky.

He wondered at the trees planted beneath power lines. He cried at the misshapen forms they adapted to grow in a world where men prevented them from reaching their true potential.  He didn’t understand the lack of logic.

They planted trees knowing they would grow, knowing their branches would  intertwine with the lines and require cutting. Five feet of distance and trees and power lines could coexist. It would have changed the world.


Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

52 thoughts on “Altered Potential — Friday Fictioneers

  1. thinking between spaces and how things grow is not always at the start of a project, it must be difficult to visualise an end before we begin. this story is not just about trees, its a lesson in being aware of our impact on the world. such a huge theme emerges from this for me.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. I used to see this a lot when we lived in Spain, where trees seem to shoot up at a great speed. Did you mean to infer another layer – that some need space to achieve their full potential? Loved this.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Nice thoughts. A man is not allowed to reach its full potential but a tree grows haphazardly. Growth of tree could have been managed better if some planning had gone into planting seeds.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Dear Jo,

    AS others have already said, this is a thought provoking piece. Why don’t they plant trees or position power lines so they aren’t at odds? When I was a child we had three magnificent poplars in the back yard that had to be cut down for power lines. I loved to run between them. Sigh. Good story.



    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Jilly. Thank you for your comment and your kind words. I can assure you my irritation with short-term thinking extends far beyond people who plant trees under power lines. 😉 But then much in our world is now centered on short-term gratification with little or no regard for the future.

      Liked by 1 person

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