Tag Archives: Tree

The leaf is proud when it does fall

While it is still summer and the leaves are green, I thought I would present a poem I wrote about The Leaf. It is a testament to the life span of leaves, and their group contribution to the success of the tree.

In many ways we are each a leaf of the tree of life and community.

 

the-leaf-poem-rob-hueniken

 

The Leaf

Brown and wrinkled on the ground
The leaf is near its cycle round.
From spry, young bud it grew and spread
To fall down here and become dead.
But it was once a flag of spring
Harkening what life will bring.
And in the summer it did grow
Its shared green power it did show.
And in the autumn with dimming sun
It glowed in knowing what it’d done.
The tree was bigger, stronger, tall.
The leaf is proud when it does fall.

By Rob Hueniken

 

First published: Aug 31, 2009 @ 17:05
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Trees only get one channel

When we get out into nature one thing becomes clear: nature is a fantastic experience, in all its variations. Nature is reality TV in its purest form.

A friend and I went walking yesterday in a hill-top park that holds our city’s water supply, suitably called Reservoir Park. It is an inspiring combination of urban function and natural environment.

The sun was strong and the late-summer leaves were deep green and working hard.  There was lichen on the tree trunks — the bumpy, mottled blue-green combination of algae and fungus — working hard in its own slow way to pull in the sun’s rays. And there were birds, somewhere — just out of sight — calling to each other.

A family walked by carrying bits of sticks. “We’re going to roast marshmallows!”, exclaimed the girl with a huge smile. The Dad smiled, and I could tell that making this effort was worth it. Another family tootled slowly by on bicycles, followed by a band of four boys, mostly on bikes. One of them was carrying a bike wheel, and another half-carried, half-pushed the bike itself. All four of them were grinning in the sunshine — together and being outside.

Not every day is a perfect sunny day, but with nature every day is real. You feel it and it touches you.

Trees only get one channel, and it’s pure reality TV. If you don’t subscribe to it these days you really should get out more.

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nature-in-reservoir-park
Three trees line up to pull in their favorite TV channel. Urban candy-canes share the wind with grass and children.

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