A few weeks ago, Genesis hosted a week-long Nature Immersion Experience, an invitation to walk, sit, and listen deeply to both nature and the Divine speaking through the created world. During the retreat, I came upon a tree that was falling, yet held gently by a neighboring tree. As I sat with it and reflected on its life’s journey, I began to hear it tell a story, one that could only be spoken in the quiet, patient voice of trees.
The Circle Comes Round
Dear brother… Treeing,
A lifetime of being,
Weary and worn,
Battered and torn.
Years of weathering life’s storms
Leave me weak and forlorn.
A lifetime of breathing and giving
Makes for a life worth living.
Roots giving way,
Yet still wanting to stay,
Letting go to the call,
I’m beginning to fall.
“Not so fast,” says my neighbor,
“There is still more to savor.
Rest here in my loving embrace;
Let me help you stand tall in this beautiful place.”
One day… Soon, in tree years,
I will continue the fall, no longer in tears.
For the loving gift of another
Gently holds me, just like a mother.
And when at last I lie on our dear mother Earth,
My greatest joy will be the hope of rebirth.
Decomposing, recomposing, becoming one with the ground,
New life in my dying, the circle comes round.
A tree’s life, rooted, stands firm in its trust,
Sways in the breeze in each rising gust,
Teaching patience and presence, for both are a must
In the end, brings new life as it turns into dust.
