Connecting with a Tree

Connecting with a Tree

Breathe out through the mouth
Push from the stomach
Then the chest
Roll the shoulder in
Push out the breath
Push it away
Breathe in slowly through the nose
Feel it pass the throat
Fill the chest
Arch your back to fill in every crevice inside
Make yourself bigger and bigger
Until you cannot fill it any more
Hold it
While you see with your minds’ eye
An early autumn leaf drops in front of you
Fast blow it away
Push, push, push the leaf
Out…away
Send it gone
Fast
See with your minds’ eye
The leaf catches the wind and drops to the center of a pool of water.
The water ripples
The silver ripples hit the shore
With each ripple
Breathe in as the ripple touches the shore
Breathe out as the little ebb of the ripple dips back from shore
Let in…let out
Note the leaf slips beneath the water.
Look past the shore
You are in the woods: the forest is dark around you
But all you can see is roots that touch the pool
It is damp
Odd sounds reach your ears
A chill is about the air as mist settle among the tangled roots
Look close
One root seems different than the rest
It slightly shimmers and glows
You can feel this and know its comfort
Follow the root up to the tree trunk
Touch the trunk and relax to the bark beneath your hand
The tree is warm in this cold place.
It welcomes you as only a good home can
Your fingers merge with the tree
You can feel them grow into the tree
You can feel its wood in your nails
Your finger bones
Don’t panic, just breathe
It feels good to be with this tree
This tree also feels good to be with you
You feel its response to you
Let go to the movement of life from the tree
Let go and explore how it taps in the earth
Let go and expand to its canopy
Let there be trust
Suddenly the world blooms with color
The dark is gone
The odd sounds are known
You awake as the tree
You know your neighbors
You know history from before man
You know the life around you
You have always known
You will always know
Feel how this world is open to you
So free, so giving, so trusting
Your tree releases your fingers
Your nails
Your hand starts to become yours
Your hand is gently expelled
Turn to the pool
See how placid
See how it reflects you with your tree behind
The mundane world is becoming more and more your awareness
Breathe back to reality
Touch the pool
The Ripples come ashore…Breathe in
The Ripples pull back from the shore…Breath out.
Open your eyes
Touch your hand
Your fingers
Lay your hands flat and feel the ground
Breathe in
Breathe out
And laugh

Original Poetry