Today we are featuring Inklings Book Contest 2021 finalist Lara Fraenkel! Lara finished 6th grade this past school year. Her poem is called “Poem of the Trees.” Enjoy!
POEM OF THE TREES
by Lara Fraenkel
As I walk into the forest, I leave my worries behind,
I let the soft rustling of leaves enter my mind.
Glowing white birch trees, glossy green pines,
sturdy strong oaks, all look divine.
Hazel, sunny yellow, auburn, scarlet red,
leaves crunch under my feet, some fall on my head.
Hidden in the leaves, all cozy and warm,
Small animals find refuge against the coming storm.
Glimmering spots of sunlight break through the dense canopy,
short leafy plants strive to catch the light happily.
Everywhere I look are dappled patches of green and brown,
A small spruce tree dances under a grand cedar’s crown
Its cheeks full of nuts, a chipmunk stares at me,
Above it a bird sings of sorrow and glee
Warm paws sank into the soft forest floor
leaving tracks and memories of stories before.
Seated on the coarse stump of a cut-down tree,
my fingers trace countless rings that hold a memory
A deadly silence, the only warning,
A deafening roar, cuts through the early morning.
A looming figure, fast approaching the ground,
the creatures within, soon homeless, with a thumping sound.
The thought of these trees, grand and towering,
In the blink of an eye, a chainsaw devouring.
Every tree fallen down is a life taken,
its memories lost, gone, forsaken.
Left behind is nothing but emptiness,
where once you sought inspiration and friendliness.
Like a soothing balm, trees calm your soul,
like a ray of sunlight they make you happy and whole.
If ever you feel a weight too heavy to bear,
take a deep breath of the tree’s pure air.
The trees listen and hold secrets old and new I confess,
and the wind touches my cheek in a gentle caress.
Anchored solidly on the ground against wind and rain
Stand still unyielding against despair and pain.
feathery soft moss creeps up age-old trees,
Every branch tells the story of long-past centuries.
I spread around seeds, so tiny, so light,
I let them sink into the earth, and pray with all my might,
that some faraway day, Earth will be restored,
to its former glory, no longer ignored.
When I leave, I’ll remember everything I see,
and keep the eternal forest in my heart with me.
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