For the past several years, Max Reif has had his mornings free for literary exploration. He starts by reading and then begins to journal, as deeply and honestly as he can. In this way “a scent or a full-blown trail often emerges, resulting in a poem, a story, an essay, or a memoir piece.” In this poem Max found an expression for something he’d been longing for years to find the words for. To read more of his work, visit his web site.
Gratitude to the Trees
By Max Reif
Last evening on my walk
I finally said “I love you”
to the trees,
it was inescapable,
those green arms so open
for any of us to walk
into their embrace night or day,
never rejecting even the loneliest soul.
And how watchful they are,
these neighborhood sentinels
so quiet and patient,
never calling attention to themselves,
anchored and anchoring,
role models who do not harm a gnat
and yet stand tall and strong,
ladders to the heaven in our hearts
which we climb at a glance,
or else spreading wide and round
like a great draped rustling quilt,
home to singers
and invisibly taking in unbreathable gas,
showering us in return
with oxygen, oxygen, oxygen.
In their limbs
the breezes whisper secrets
we overhear just enough
to remind us the Ocean is near
even though we can’t see it.
They serve so silently.
I have felt them before,
but last night,
when I spoke to them,
they answered.
I don’t believe I have ever looked at a tree before, after reading this lovely poem. While they were always there.
Max, this is beautiful. I have always looked upon trees with great reverence, so this poem really spoke to me.
Beautiful – thank you.
Sure do enjoy this Max, beautiful_I Love the trees, age 12, God 1st talked BACK to me thru them!
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