A Giving Tree...

Of all of the poems we have been provided thus far, I have been touched most deeply by “The Sycamore” by Wendell Berry. Its words moved me so because of a specific tree that has been a part of my consciousness for as long as I can recall and is almost indiscernible from the detailed description Barry provides.
About a ten minute walk through the woods from my back porch stands the most noble, ancient tree I have ever laid eyes on. It is so tall and the branches so far-reaching that it is virtually impossible to decipher its edges from the trees around it. My tree sits in its own special space, surrounded for yards on all sides by flowering grasses and berry bushes in spite of the dense forest around it. It is almost as if all of the other trees avoid infiltrating this tree’s space out of respect for its strength and power. Its trunk is so thick that myself and two companions wrapping our arms around it cannot lock hands on the other side.
For as long as I can remember, I have watched this tree thrive season after season. I have seen it blossoming in spring and decorated with icicles in winter. I have watched its limbs fall and decay after a lightning’s unforgiving strike. I have seen the hollows in its sides multiply with age. I have listened as it cracked and struggled in the howling wind. It has withstood with great honor the attacks of humankind ourselves. One side of the tree bears scars of an attempted tree house aloft in its branches. High above the ground between two branches positioned perfectly for a resting spot, lies the only evidence of Ashley and Jake’s dwindling love affair.
When I think of all the world and life this sedentary tree has seen in my lifetime alone, I am struck by the reality that these events are a mere fraction of its earthly experiences. I am grateful to this tree for its inspiration, its comfort, and its joys. All of the times I have spent with this tree and all of the strength it has demonstrated to me are a testament to the true value of each person finding their place in nature.