The Wisdom of the Trees

Tree in the Yard of a Nursing Home in Cowan

I think that I shall never see
A poem as lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast.

A tree that looks at God all day
And lifts her leafy arms to pray.

A poem by Joyce Kilmer

How grateful I am that a grade school teacher asked our class to memorize this poem!  As a shy child, I remember how nervous I was as I stood before my class to recite the poem.  When everyone applauded at the end, I was grateful to experience the power of language to move people.

The thought that a tree looks at God all day and lifts her leafy arms to pray is the language of a mystic.  Joyce Kilmer seems to have understood something about trees that only comes to those who spend a great deal of time outside with the trees.

There is a strength and depth and power that exudes from their presence.

When I go into the woods, I look for the "elder tree," i.e., the oldest tree on that patch of land.  Native Americans understood the importance of seeking the elder tree's permission before camping on a plot of land.  I go to the elder tree to acknowledge its wisdom and to sit underneath it to write and pray.  I place my hands on it and pray for it and bless it.  When I do so, I feel very connected to the tree and to all the trees around me.

I seek the tree's wisdom and blessing.  Does the tree pray for me?  I don't know, but it certainly blesses me in many tangible and intangible ways!

Forest rangers and those who study trees say that they develop social networks and help each other.  Sometimes pairs are so interconnected at the roots that when one dies, the other one dies, too.

Biologists tell us that trees can count, learn, and remember.  They can nurse a sick neighbor and warn other trees of danger.  In fact, trees can keep an ancient stump alive for centuries by feeding it a sugar solution through their roots.

Peter Wohlleben, a forest ranger from Germany, has written and published a book called, "The Hidden Life of Trees:  What They Feel, How They Communicate.  Discoveries From a Secret World."  The book is #1 on the Spiegel best seller list for nonfiction and has been translated in 19 countries.  The English version will come out in September.  I can't wait to get it!

Who knows the depth of a tree?  Joyce Kilmer communicated a profound understanding in a poem to a generation of people.  People can write blogs and poems, but only God can make a tree!

Let us go into the woods with an open heart, a humble heart, seeking the wisdom of the trees.

All God's blessings,
Laura Ellen

Elder Tree Across From St. Mary's Retreat Center in Sewanee

The Cherokee Elders Sat Underneath It To Make Decisions