Look how they rustle for you,

the leaves.
As they soar down the highest branch
to plant a path for you.

We jump, we giggle, we play
Our toes crunch the earth beneath,
making music from its leaf.

Do we look up,
to acknowledge the tree?

The breeze blows,
bullies against its trunk
remaining tall, rooted,
it does not push back.
Rather, delicately dances
shakes—not in fear, but sure delight
that someone might
acknowledge.

Fast, slow, then still
Mimicking the beat of the breeze,
yet swaying to its own melody.
Not all at once does it sway.
The tree speaks to those leaves, those branches
that are called forth to move, to shake
to descend to the earth,
and delicately break.
The rest, rests
still, calm, rooted.

We learn from the tree
awareness.
Graciously it turns its leaves
and looks up to the sky
willing, ready, to receive rain.
When you reach for its hand,
its leaf does not fall alone,
the others crinkle, the branch bends
as if to bow down to greet you,
but do we look up?

Perhaps the reason,
trees stand tall
is to ask us to look up,
and admire, acknowledge it all.

~

Relephant Read:

Tree Hugging Isn’t as Bad as You Think.

~

Author: Erin Moriah R. Wafer

Apprentice Editor: Keeley Milne

Photos: Dar’ya Sip/Flickr, Florian Bugiel/Flickr