My Saguaro DNA

My name is Saguaro.

I need to tell you all about myself, about how I was suddenly made over by a stressful, traumatic moment in my life. It changed me, and in doing so, it changed my Saguaro DNA. I’ve heard that this can happen. I’m living proof of it and this is my story–

Way back when I was a clueless, careless saguaro, I lived in a daze while the endless years would pass, seemingly forever, stretching out so slowly, I would wait it out in oblivious bliss.

It must have been how I was made–

To be oblivious to my surroundings, to be oblivious to my sensations, to be oblivious to my feelings, to be oblivious to what was happening to my moist pulpy flesh.

Because when Gila Woodpecker pecked holes deep in my green thorny spine, I yawned through the commotion. You’d think I’d be prickling with reaction, showing emotion, shocked at the audacious actions of my clamorous cactus crasher.

But I was not made that way. Sentience was not a part of my Saguaro DNA.

Later, I watched Cactus Wren fly up to one of those holes to reuse it for her own nest. You’d think I’d be high on happiness, curious about my new house guests, and pleased that both of these birds wanted me in their lives.

But I was not made that way. Sentience was not a part of my Saguaro DNA.

As a young strapping saguaro, I was stoic, sturdy, strong, and unquestionably unbending. I looked forward to growing tall. Throughout my early years, I watched the slow death of Palo Verde, my nurse tree. She lived next to me while I was growing up.

I witnessed Longhorn Beetle feed on Nurse Palo Verde’s branches and roots instead of mine. I never thanked her for providing shade from the hot desert sun while I thoughtlessly depleted moisture and nutrients from the ground we shared.

I grew and grew and grew! Leaving my nurse with nothing! Because of my behavior, my caring, protective nurse would no longer exist in my world.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Suddenly, I feel my emotions endlessly pushing through my roots, passing by my ridged ribs, stretching to my flowered head.

Suddenly, I feel my emotions endlessly twisting like my nurse’s branches, trembling as they withered away, tormenting me because she died.

Suddenly, I feel my emotions endlessly sweeping throughout my body, sobbing in my soul, weeping with sorrow.

If not for the sacrifice of my beloved nurse, if not for my sudden realizations, if not for my newfound compassion, if not for all of these things, I would never have been–

Suddenly remade into a sentient being. Sentience is now a part of my Saguaro DNA.

I continue to feel my emotions, my endless emotions filling my heart with hope. I look down at my desert world with newfound joy, watching and appreciating everything with newborn eyes. Feeling everything for the first time in my life. With awakened senses, I glance down at one lonely lizard sitting on a rock under the sun that is endlessly bright. I smell the air, so sweet and earthy that my insides prickle with delight. I can feel it deep in my flesh, the compassion in my heart. The refreshed rhythm of life.

My body continues to slowly grow steadily up to the sky. I grow one arm, then another, and another and another! I tower over everything.

When Great Horned Owl builds a nest between two of my arms, I feel happy and proud to know her family will be safe.

Now at the grand old age of two hundred years old, my once green prickly body is wrinkling and turning brown. I sigh, as I lean over, crumpling into two parts.

As I peacefully lay there, decaying, I know my death will benefit others. It is my turn to become food for the desert world, and happy that I can enrich the soil so that desert trees and plants can grow. I smile as the monsoon-aided rains pour down on me for the last time.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the rains sweep though the Sonoran desert, Creosote Bush gives off her sweet earthy scent that swirls around the dead saguaro. Then she shares his message that is carried over the warm winds, hoping that the troubled, traumatized human race who are sentient beings but don’t always act that way, can hear it–

“What if you can suddenly change? What if you can suddenly change? Your Human DNA.”

story and photo (saguaro cactus ) copyright© 2025 by Elaine J Fisher photo (saguaro cactus flower) copyright©2025 by Allan Fisher