When my heart has no words
when there is too much to pray for
and not enough hope
in the world
to right all the wrongs
When California is burning
as the climate naysayers say nay
I walk my speechless heart
into the forest
to try to find my way
Each tree
a living prayer
offering balm and breath
to the soul-weary
Each birdcall a note of hope
in the planetary song
humankind has
gotten wrong
When my heart has
only tears,
and there is too much to pray for
and not enough hope
to find my way
I let the trees pray for me
Breathe their peacefulness
into my being
Listen to all
they have to say
Each tree
a living prayer,
each human adding either
dark or light
to the planetary plight
One from 2018 to share with the Poetry Pantry at Poets United, fine reading every Sunday morning. Come join us! On the Vancouver Island, we are in the grip of a heat wave. It was 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) yesterday at my sister's farm. It is not as hot here, but still too hot. Where is our cooling fog, our cool sea breezes? Each year, climate change is felt more strongly. My spirit grieves.
Yes.
ReplyDeleteI still am moved to silence by this poem, into the hush of prayer. Yes.
DeleteLong may the trees remain!
ReplyDeleteMay we all choose to add light to the song, so that the trees can chant healing. We really, really, really need that.
ReplyDeleteTree prayers - may they be heard!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the trees give you comfort
ReplyDeleteI'm an agnostic, lost my religion years ago. I'm not convinced that there isn't a higher power, however I think it long since became sick of humanity. I talk to the trees, but they don't listen to me. I hope your trees do listen to you.
ReplyDeleteI walk my speechless heart
ReplyDeleteinto the forest
to try to find my way... that resonated deeply... it seems pretty hopeless, you're right.
The world is in trouble and the one creature that can help is not interested in saving the planet and all its innocent inhabitants, all the while money can be made at others expense. Perhaps it is about time the United Creatures got involved! They should overtaken the UN by now.
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt nature will eventually adapt and survive, but not without the extinction of many more species, ours included.
ReplyDeletePrayers and trees - what a perfect combination of themes and handled so tenderly too... Lovely, Sherry
ReplyDeleteThis, the letting the trees pray when even that feels overwhelming...this is something that I'll take with me as I wait out the heat (mornings with bees in the backyard are the closest I'll get to trees for the next several months).
ReplyDeleteMay the prayers of the trees be heard. Whispering intentions into the ears of those who will listen.
ReplyDeleteThis is so poignant. Hopefully nature will survive despite the dire circumstances .. I have hope and continue to pray ❤️
ReplyDeleteYou've given me a new way to look at trees--as living prayers. I'll never look at them as "just trees" again. Thank you, Sherry.
ReplyDelete"Each tree a living prayer"
ReplyDeleteindeed how fortunate we have them.
A song of hope and second chances...so beautiful.
ReplyDelete"I walk my speechless heart
ReplyDeleteinto the forest"
Ah yes the balm of forest bathing 'shinrin-yoku'
Thanks for dropping by my sumie Sunday today Sherry
Much❤🕊❤love
A lovely and poignant evocation, Sherry. Trees seem to symbolize - more and more - what is right in this world, don't they. Sadly, the same cannot be said about the conduct of human activities, on this planet.
ReplyDeleteAs a technical aside, I thought that the unexpected snippets of rhyme you've imbued the piece with, are very skillfully done and add to the lyrical quality. I, personally, love the effect of (what I have come to call) slip-and-slide rhyme, though I have a hard time pulling it off. My head seems to always want to go to free verse or flat-out full rhyme. So I do take note, when I come across a poem that achieves the effect as skillfully as this one does.
...trees, eagles, wolves, the mountains, rivers and seas. somewhere, sometime i hope to insert 'humankind' in here
ReplyDeleteEach tree
ReplyDeletea living prayer,
each human adding either
dark or light
to the planetary plight
A tree symbolizes living and continuity but mankind has to spoil the equation. You got it there Sherry!
Hank
YOUR poem was the prayer I needed to hear, today! Thank you, Sherry!! Your ending so aligns with the light and eclipses in my world~ Your prayer is a gift~
ReplyDelete