willena j belden

I wrote this post last year and never shared it thinking anyone who read it would see how strangely my mind works. I have now decided not to hide my weirdness any longer it is just part of me.

What can I say I love trees____

They captivate me and touch me in a way I can’t explain with words.

In Winter you can see their bones, their souls, and the strength of the branches.

All is laid bare, even their weaknesses and broken parts.

I love the etched look of dark shapes against the gray sky, the lines, and curves reaching out in all directions.

I want to throw my arms around them and let them know I care for them. To tell them I appreciate their beauty and apologize for the destruction and carelessness humans have shown to their world, our world.

I have always felt this way, even as a child.

I have spent many days sheltering beneath their green canopies in the summer, reading books, drawing, or just daydreaming. Imagining I too am rooted to the earth and I have relished in the comfort of that knowledge. Like them quietly standing, though not nearly as strong as their smallest limbs, I am reaching up and out for something I cannot name. Yet by being in their presence I have borrowed power and stood taller than I could have otherwise.