That mysterious tree, some call miraculously grown perfectly in the shape of the crucified Christ, on the Rabat road leading to Mdina has impressed me ever since childhood.

Recently, some strong wind has, out of all the trees there, uprooted it just enough for it not to stand straight any longer and it now leans on a crutch just like those you find in Salvador Dali's paintings, placed there with the best intentions to rescue it. Some would call this a shame but, personally, I now find it even tenfold more fascinating, incredibly mysterious and inspirational than I did before. Frighteningly powerful ideas and symbolism obviously come to one's mind when looking at it, or, oh well, it does to mine.

Should the whole thing fall once and for all, the obvious thing to do would be to put it up in some church or other. As an artist, I would like to suggest in advance that this would best be installed not just as the crucifix was at face value but as it is now, leaning on the crutch which could be placed standing on a pedestal and, most importantly, that the tree is plucked out with its roots and all, which ought not to be cut but hung up with the whole thing as a sort of, ideally large, natural hanging base for the installation.

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