I want to be a tree…
And raise my head and hands to the azure blue
To feel the wind blow in my leaves
and dig my toes deep into the rich black earth.
I want to be a tree…
A home for birds and squirrels
And welcome the pileated
to tap-tap the rhythm of the woods.
I want to be a tree…
To bend my boughs to the passing breeze
and hear my mighty arms creak and sway as it passes by.
I want to be a tree…
Tall and mighty I will stand till one day
When I lend my wood to some great ship or home.
I want to be a tree…
And be carved into a canoe
to run the rapids of some great river.
I want to be a tree…
And when I am,
I hope you’ll rest beneath my canopy
and keep cool in my welcoming shade.
I want to be a tree…
And when my numbered days are done,
back into the rich deep earth
I’ll go for some other tree to grow.
Brian D. Griffin
