Dear Favorite Tree,

Inspired by this fine art print, and my favorite tree that rests on the riverbank of of an incredibly special spot in the Uncompahgre National Forest, Colorado.

*For a more immersive experience, this poem comes with the song it was written to– Steady, by musical artist Roary. A beautiful work of art in its own right.

It is recommended that you begin reading a moment after you hit play, and linger with the song when the poem concludes.

Dear Favorite Tree,

Both of us are written into the memoir of Time–

although I’m just a flicker in the span of your life,

your existence and mine are intertwined.

^^^

I linger at your roots,

absorbing the lessons that you teach–

through a world beyond my vision,

written in spheres of ancient wisdom you hold deep.

^^^

Your life resonated through the universe

before your limbs took shape–

I long to know what ancestry held you

before landing on this riverbank.

^^^

I yearn to see the things you’ve witnessed

throughout the years you’ve grown,

revealed through your epic history

rings of time I’ve never known.

^^^

Can you share insights of ancient energy

buried in the soils from which you birthed–

echoing lessons of time through your fibers,

wisdom of history you’ve unearthed?

^^^

You are one of many, yet

uniqueness is carved into your core,

evidence swirled into your story

of the impacts you’ve endured.

^^^

Tell me of the moment

your being sparked to life–

rooted in the depths of darkness,

how did you break free and

press on toward the light?

Please teach me about emergence.

^^^

Will you show me all the scars

from the fires you’ve endured–

tell me how to face the heat without

crumbling from the burn?

Please teach me about courage.

^^^

Will you show me how to grow roots

strong enough that I no longer fear the wind–

how to rise in the midst of hardship,

using perseverance to ascend?

Please teach me about fortitude.

^^^

Will you draw up the magic imprinted in your annals,

harness the wind rustling through your branches

to whisper the lessons sketched in your memories–

the teachings of the past drawn in your circles of remembering?

^^^

I wait to breathe in the wisdom of your experience

under the embracing of your bole,

to etch it in my spirit,

to root it in my soul.

^^^

I thank you in advance,

my dear favorite Tree–

now I'll close my eyes and listen

so I can truly see.

Forever Seeking,

Me

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Author's Note:

Against Forgetting is one of my favorite fine art prints done by sisters Sonya and Nina Montenegro, the designers and makers of The Far Woods (www.thefarwoods.com). This piece is a wax crayon rubbing of a tree stump (according to the artist, most likely a Douglas Fir) on Orcas Island that perfectly aligned with an ink fingerprint of the artist. This piece has impacted me on a soul level as it translates how intimately we are connected to nature– that we are nature. I'm in love with trees and have a deep adoration and appreciation for reciprocity of life that we share.

* Please earmark www.thefarwoods.com for amazing artwork prints and books with a beautiful mission behind them. The following quote was taken from their website.

We seek to contribute to a great Culture Shift in which there is a land ethic, a reverence for nature, a rejection of the dominant throw-away mentality, and direct connection to where our food and the things we use come from. Many of our artworks serve as educational tools and inspiration for deepening relationship to nature, food, and community. Our practice crosses disciplines, including teaching handcraft skills, beekeeping, and growing food, to work toward an ecologically-viable and socially-just future.

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If you’d like to read about the inspiration behind this piece, check out this interview hosted by the wonderful Heather Hubler: