I love the trees on the hill above the lake
near my home.
Huge macrocarpa, pines and oaks
stand like sentinels.

I love their stillness and strength and beauty.

As a child I thought trees lived forever.
I loved climbing trees and still would if I could.




Today as I walked it began to rain softly
and I took shelter under a big macrocarpa.
I leaned against the tree, waiting for the rain to stop.
I looked up at the strong branches
and felt safe
sheltering there,
alone, just me and the tree..


then I began to see I wasn't alone.
I began to examine the bark and discovered a whole community
lived there on this tree.

There were birds up above coming and going.
There were spiders and their webs tucked in the bark.
There were ants and the empty skins of last summer's cicadas
and lichens and mosses and small plants growing.



The rain stopped
and I thanked the tree for
for sheltering me
for purifying the air
for giving us fresh oxygen to breathe
for sheltering the birds
and insects and spiders
for always being there

and I went off home feeling humble and richer
for becoming aware of
Mother Tree..