Monday, November 18, 2024

“The Redwoods”

Poem of the Day, Monday, November 18, 2024

Joanne staring up!

“The Redwoods”

The Redwood titans stretch
almost to heaven,
stoic yet worshipful.

We stand there look up in awe,
wonder what has happened
over the last 2,000 years,
hoping they will distill
upon us their stories—
their birthing, the bonding,
the fires, the scarring,
the subtle whisperings
among the trees
from the Tolowa,
their roots interlaced
in a spiritual connection.

Lucious ferns and other flora
and fauna flourish
among the redwoods,
providing splendorous canopy
for both the still standing trees
and the dead ones,
now lying in rows
where they fell
with a thunderous thud
or stuck in crooks of trees,
their decaying matter seeping
into the lives of so many,
slowly, protectively, reverently.

For us, to stand beneath
these bemouths gentle giants,
these ancient of days,
even for a moment, breathing in
their auras of light and life,
is a sacred experience.

Their sacredness hangs in the air
like rays of sunshine
and permeates our very beings,
and we reach out and touch them,
gently, reverently, knowing
one simple touch
makes us kin to them.

The sun shining through the redwoods!


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