While Literary Bites is primarily a fiction series, this episode is a brief departure into the world of narrative non-fiction. The story is titled Bernie’s Tree and it is entirely factual. It is the story of a rough sleeper with whom I became quite familiar in the mid two thousands. I wrote it as part of my studies for a master’s in creative writing where the assignment was to write about place. But this story blend place with people – it’s about nature, grief and community – all coming together around one man who owned little more than the clothes on his back. I hope you enjoy it.

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