When I was just a kid
I would climb the pine tree in the front yard
There was a place
Where three branches came together
Two and a half stories high
I would slide my body
Into the branches embrace
And sway with the wind
Rocking me to calm
Like a grandmother
So non-judgemental
Always there taking a beating
As winters came and went
Branches broke below
I don’t know why this tree
Likely because it’s branch grew over
The roof outside their bedroom window
What a thing to do
So exhilarating to climb out their window
Shimmy down the roof
To hop onto the branch
And up and away I would climb
To my throne of imagination
I would close my eyes to see
What it felt like to sway and listen
I wish I could go back there
But the tree is no longer there
It is no longer my families home
And decades have come and gone
But I can still close my eyes
And feel the swaying
The slow rhythmical backward and forward
Side to side movement
Like a rocking chair, only better
I guess my love of trees came from an acting class
Mom put me in an acting class as a little kid
The teacher said to stand up
Close your eyes
And pretend you are a tree
I stood there with my arms outstretched
Swaying ever so gently
I imagined what a tree felt like
Did it think about the birds
The squirrels and raccoons
Who lived in its branches
I got so lost in thought
I forgot I was in a room
Filled with other kids
Finally I opened my eyes
And I was the only one still standing
How long had I swayed
Standing there being a tree
The giggles of the other children
Assured me I was weird
But the lesson of becoming a tree
Has never left me
They have been my constant friends
From then till now
So majestic, so embracing
So defiant of the storms
As they stand there
And hold up under
The weight of weather
The freezing cold
The snow, the ice
The wind, the rain
They stand tall
Until their time has come
The wisdom gained
From friendship with a tree
Is well worth the climb
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The Sarah Hale Folger Project seeks to inspire greatness in humanity by sharing inspiring stories with the world. Please contact me here on my blog or through my website at http://www.TheArtUniverse.com
Sarah Hale Folger is a Creative Consultant, Artist, Singer and Educator. PLEASE make sure to subscribe to my blog today so you never miss the next thing happening in the world the way I see it! Please feel free to comment, share and please, subscribe to my blog. Thanks You.