Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Trees & God

Marian Ellis

My husband, Patrick, and I just celebrated 25 years of marriage, and during that time we’ve been lucky enough to witness the majesty of God’s creation from coast to coast and across oceans. However, in early July, we visited Glacier National Park in Montana and were humbled by the beauty we found there. I’m not sure we’ve ever been anywhere as stunning.

This year, as many people have the same idea that we did and are road tripping across the US, it wasn’t easy to find moments of quiet in the woods (although in Grizzly country I’m fine with people making noise…helps the bears stay away!) but we managed a few. I found myself thinking often of this poem, which hangs in our home:

Trees

BY JOYCE KILMER

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.