Hush, hush, listen to me
My branches beckon, don’t you see?
With limbs a-dancing to and fro
I’m signaling to all of you below.
Standing tall, year in, year out,
My leafy splendor, without a doubt
Is shelter for creatures great and small
And I bid a warm welcome to all.
Please lend an ear to my rustling leaves
And the sound of my bough as it heaves
When wind and breezes make it bend,
It’s a message that to you I send.
Look at me, waving at you from afar
As you speed by in your motor car.
My purpose is not merely to grow and thrive
But to oxygenate the air for you to survive.
Though storms and winter batter my crown
I will not let them put me down.
Resilient, strong, I must endure
To fulfill my purpose on earth, for sure.
Gnarled and twisted, I shudder with fear
When the logging machines I do hear
And wonder whether my end is nigh
Or will I be holding my head up high?
Remember then, that I’m your friend,
And one on whom you can depend,
To keep the secrets you spoke aloud
Which drifted by on a passing cloud.
So, come rest a while beneath my shade
Where peace and solitude pervade,
Where worries and cares are left behind
And a more comforting place you cannot find.