TREEpoems

Two from Shel Silverstein contributed by Fred:

Invitation

If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer
If you are a pretender, come sit by my fire.
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin
Come in!
Come in!

Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child,
Listen to the DON'TS
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON'TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me-- Anything can happen, child,

ANYTHING can be.

And two more from Lenore: 

Think Like a Tree by Karen I. Shragg
Soak up the sun
Affirm life's magic
Be graceful in the wind
Stand tall after a storm
Feel refreshed after it rains
Grow strong without notice
Be prepared for each season
Provide shelter to strangers
Hang tough through a cold spell
Emerge renewed at the first signs of spring
Stay deeply rooted while reaching for the sky
Be still long enough to
hear your own leaves rustling.

Advice from a Tree by Ilan Shamir
Dear Friend,
Stand Tall and Proud
Sink your roots deeply into the Earth
Reflect the light of a greater source
Think long term
Go out on a limb
Remember your place among all living beings
Embrace with joy the changing seasons
For each yields its own abundance
The Energy and Birth of Spring
The Growth and Contentment of Summer
The Wisdom to let go of leaves in the Fall
The Rest and Quiet Renewal of Winter
Feel the wind and the sun
And delight in their presence
Look up at the moon that shines down upon you
And the mystery of the stars at night.
Seek nourishment from the good things in life
Simple pleasures
Earth, fresh air, light
Be content with your natural beauty
Drink plenty of water
Let your limbs sway and dance in the breezes
Be flexible
Remember your roots
Enjoy the view!

By Wendell Berry, contributed by Pat E:

I part the out thrusting branches

and come in beneath

the blessed and the blessing trees.

Though I am silent

there is singing around me.

Though I am dark

there is vision around me.

Though I am heavy

there is flight around me.

Yes.
Yes is a vulnerable word.
It leaves you wide open
like a tree.

Make the sound.
Notice the longing in the back of your throat.
Send it out now through your lips:
the best dream you have—
full of hope.

It doesn't matter that your leaves
will leave.
It doesn't matter what the others
see or say.
The beautiful yes of trees
will stand

and breathe
life, health
to the struggling creatures
of this world.

from Between the Doors ©2005 by Susan Windle

Black Oaks

Okay, not one can write a symphony, or a dictionary,

            or even a letter to an old friend, full of remembrance

            and comfort.  

Not one can manage a single sound though the blue jays

            carp and whistle all day in the branches, without

            the push of the wind.  

But to tell the truth after a while I'm pale with longing

            for their thick bodies ruckled with lichen 

and you can't keep me from the woods, from the tonnage 

            of their shoulders, and their shining green hair. 

Today is a day like any other: twenty-four hours, a 

            little sunshine, a little rain.  

Listen, says ambition, nervously shifting her weight from

            one boot to another -- why don't you get going? 

For there I am, in the mossy shadows, under the trees. 

And to tell the truth I don't want to let go of the wrists

            of idleness, I don't want to sell my life for money, 

            I don't even want to come in out of the rain.

~ Mary Oliver

We Are a Thunderstorm

Individually,
we are single drops of rain,
falling silently into the dust,
offering scant promise
of moisture to the thirsty land.

But, together,
we can nourish the Earth
and revive its hopes and dreams.

Together,
we are a thunderstorm.

by Amity Gaige