When I Am Among the Trees by Mary Oliver

When I am Among the Trees

by Mary Oliver

When I am among the trees,

especially the willows and the honey locust,

equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,

they give off such hints of gladness.

I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,

in which I have goodness, and discernment,

and never hurry through the world

but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves

and call out, “Stay awhile.”

The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, “It's simple,” they say,

“and you too have come

into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled

with light, and to shine.”

Close-up of a tree branch with fresh, green leaves glistening in sunlight against a blurred forest background, capturing the essence of being among the trees.
Image by Hans Braxmeier from
Pixabay
Dawn Browning
Share it:
Email
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *