Lexy Miles
Photography and Poem By Rachel Wagner
If you walk into the forest There stands a tree A beautiful, bold, beaming tree You might say to yourself “This is just a tree, just like the many others around it” But there are things you do not know about the tree The tree is very giving and kind Breathing life into the animals and beings of the forest Providing fruit for the squirrels, rest for the birds Providing shelter for the owls, shade for the creatures of the ground Expecting nothing in return Seasons come and go in the forest The tree continues to give The tree is also witty and loving The creatures of the forest are drawn to its playful nature The tree welcomes all, familiar or new, large or small A new visitor has come Curiosity flows from its roots to its leaves The tree greets them and friendship is born A new connection has been made and excitement ensues There is something else you may not know about the tree It is one of many trees in the forest It stands in a corner of the forest surrounded by many others, all different, all unique Some smaller, some larger Some more full, some more bare The tree often fears the creatures of the forest will leave for the other trees Is the tree providing enough? Is its fruit sweet enough? Does it stand tall enough? What if the other trees stand taller and leave it with no sun or rain? The tree often drowns in doubt and fear from the forest There is one thing the tree does not know It is indeed giving, playful, and kind It is indeed flawed, flawed just as much as the other trees in the forest Bark is breaking, leaves are falling, fruit is rotting Its flaws however fuel its beauty, and individuality The tree fits in its own way into the ways of the forest where every root, soul, and life of the forest are connected