Trees are People

It's been quite some time since I last wrote a poem, and even longer since I took the time to type it out. I shared this one with my family tonight and it generated a ground swell of excitement to share their own created works. It could become a Sunday evening tradition. The seed has been planted at least. 

Trees are people

Look and see

Each one different

Not one the same

Branches, bark, roots and leaves

Some reach high

Seeking the sun

Others spread wide

Giving shade to everyone

Prickly, smooth, rough and shaggy

Broadleaves, needles, fruits, and nuts

Chestnut, maple, oak, and willow

A kaleidoscope of oranges, reds, and yellows

Others cling to green trimmings 

Even in winters chill

We can't control them

But we can enjoy junipers

We can't create them

But we can plant sequoias

Enjoy their stone-centered fruits

Rest in their dappled shade

Savor their towering beauty

Respect their unknown age

They cleanse the air

Give bosom to all manner of creatures

Owls, squirrels, cats and crows

Find a perch upon their bough

Trees give their lives to shelter neighbors

A lodge for the beaver

A cabin for the woodsman

A treehouse for the wide-eyed child

They serve us with quiet, sturdy beauty

The table spread with turkey and dressing

The rocker that slowly creaks

The cradle in which our newborn sleeps

Have you said thank you today?

Adoration, meekness, gratitude and wonder

Contemplate the wisdom branching

From this tree,

your friend.