Tamara Willems

while outside your door…

today
for a time, to sit
in the wisdom of the trees
just to watch and to
listen
can feel like an act of rebellion

at first bare and
damp
then the wind picks up and snowflakes
lightly accumulate
on the branches
you wonder, don’t you
how they stand, as they do
roots deep, deep in the ground
strong, arms outstretched
open
regardless of what might be happening
all around
how they sway to rhythms you can hear
when it’s
quiet

how often they will
nod
in agreement when you send them
hopeful thoughts
of kind things and stories about
things that you
love

how you can sort of see them smile
and even though they’ve not bent down
how you can almost feel the strength
in their branches
when they wrap them tightly around you
so that you, for a time
might
feel
safe

they really can be
the most promising sort
of guardians

cunningly they will coax you out
when it
is getting cold
to see their dance moves
to watch their crowns bob and
weave
and the last of the left over leaves
shimmy

stopping here,
you feel your presence
in this moment

and deeply, deeply
you inhale
heaping helpings of the fresh snowy
cold air

and this quiet January day
feels
like you have won
the grand prize 

in the wisdom
of trees ♥

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