The Breath of the Trees

I’m not sure where this poem came from, it started as something totally different, but went down its on path.

The leafless oak trees appear ghostlike
in the fog
They stand at the edge of the forest,
their ancient trunks gnarled and scarred,
their roots burrowed deep underground.
Twigs, like neurons, stretch toward the
sky
sending their silent signals out to one another.


I stretch my body out on the spongy
mossy ground,
breathing in the sweet smell of pine and earthy decaying leaves.


I can hear them talking
They are mourning their brothers and sisters,
the spruce, pine, birch, cedar, maple,
lost to Fire
that came so fast,
a tsunami of
red, yellow, white flames, consuming
them all.
The smoke was heavy, blotting out the sun,
for days.
They can still taste
the ash
that swirled around them,
like a shroud.


They begin to weep.
Their tears
fall on my face, and then I realize
I am crying too.

Reviews

[Vol]

NormaZ
I'd rather be a tree in some far away place than a person in some crowded mass of wriggling humanity buried in concrete and steel.
Vol

[NormaZ]

My feeling exactly! Thanks so much for the review.

[Betty Hermelee]

You do a great job of humanizing trees, perhaps they have feelings as well... your images are colorful and vivid and show us in our mind's eye the fire that took many of them down.... perhaps the rain was ashes, those tears of ashes that float in the air..... hearts are broken... even ours and we all cry in grief...for the destruction of nature......
Warmly, B

[NormaZ]

Thank you so much for the review, Betty!

[Betty Hermelee]

You're very welcome Norma Z
Warmly, B

[Einstein Noodle]

i love your title Ms.Z!! trees do breath .. i believe it .. as all living things do .. you might enjoy this movie .. maybe you've already seen it .. it's one of my favorites and talks of the connection of all trees and plants around the world .. your poem also reminds me of the most recent fire in Canada .. 45.7 million acres burned ... i love the human touch at weeping along with those beautiful woods ..
E.

[NormaZ]

Thank you E! There are more living things connected that we think! Thanks for the review!

[Einstein Noodle]

https://youtu.be/apduYg2VqTI?si=QmNTra2rztC0AEGU
I can't believe I forgot to paste the link to the movie I am talking about ...

[Stella Armour]

Beautiful, trees are living , breathing souls and very precious .
The thought of them burning is dreadful and i would weep too Norma ...

[NormaZ]

Thanks Stella. I also think about all the animals that nest in the trees, now destroyed or homeless.

[Stella Armour]

I know, nature can seem cruel at times but she has her own survival techniques we just dont understand