Tree
by Jane Hirshfield
Tree by Jane Hirshfield
It is foolish
to let a young redwood
grow next to a house.
Even in this
one lifetime,
you will have to choose.
That great calm being,
this clutter of soup pots and books—
Already the first branch-tips brush at the window.
Softly, calmly, immensity taps at your life.
What fascinates me about Ms Hirshfield, is how much knowledge, wisdom and breadth of subject she can incorporate into ten seemingly innocuous lines.
oh... have I had this unfortunate inner dialog! Not with the future of a Redwood, but many baby pines that fall into the gutter on our back deck and rush to their "spot" and grow in what I now term the pine nursery at the end of the gutter... I have rehomed many over the time we have lived here! Give them 2 yrs or so, and the root is big enough to transplant further out on our little bit of land.
Now... the apple tree that was way too close to our garage, and I loved dearly, went the way of the bunny winter brigade ~ I had no need to worry after all... though I miss her quite a bit.