Ode to the Trees

Oh, the trees, the trees, the mighty trees!
Here they stand, in their emerald attire,
Each a monument that towers and sways,
In the sun, the rain, the wind’s wild breath.

Their roots in the soil, their branches held high,
A fellowship of silence, bearing witness,
To time’s gentle passage, to seasons that ebb,
In soft transformations, clad in the light.

They shelter the birds, the bees, and the breeze,
That dances ‘neath their leaves, in sweet harmony, With their whispers of love, of life, of peace,
Oh, the trees, the trees, the mighty trees!

— John Muir

• John Muir