Sometimes I wish I were a tree,
To spread my deep roots underground,
To know the land, to taste the soil,
To grow tall and strong, to stand my ground
Against storms, earthquakes, and landslides,
And with my stateliness to keep at bay
The crows and the woodcutter’s ax.
Yes, I wish I were a tree,
To draw my imperfect symmetry on the sky,
To be drenched by the rain, dried up by the sun,
To creak and to bend in the wind, in the storm,
In the winter to bear a burden of snow,
In the spring to be such a perch as singing birds cannot refuse,
To be tickled by ants, by woodpeckers to be annoyed,
To feel my leaves dance to the music of the wind.
Yes, I wish I were a tree,
In a well-trimmed garden or park, in a forest wild and dark,
Next to the house of a man, or on some street or other,
Even if I would have to put up
With dogs lifting a leg and pissing on my bark.
The benefit of growing near people would be
That I would feel you treading the ground
Passing by me so often and so much
Drinking the breath of my leaves
That I would get to know you, that I would understand,
From the hearts you scratch on my bark,
From the footsteps you leave on the ground.
I wish I were a tree,
To stand still, not to have to run,
Not to have to go into the world
But to wait for the world to visit me
To be firmly and quietly free,
To be free from freedom itself.
boy with a hat 
Reblogged this on and commented:
Beautiful!
I love this.
https://goodasgold96.wordpress.com/
As always: very beautiful !!
Loved this
Like it
Absolutely wonderful!
Reblogged this on Giai01's Blog and commented:
XEM
‘to be free from freedom itself.’
I like it.
You never cease to amaze, Vincent.
Did you ever see my post where I asked my students in Hong Kong to write an essay that started with, “If I were a tree . . .”? The post is old and probably not super well written, but the kids’ answers are cute.
http://jesscy.com/2012/03/09/if-i-were-a-tree/
Cute post!
It’s old. My students were pretty cute, though.
Reblogged this on Diyana novina.
Very beautiful. Really enjoyed it.
thelonelyauthorblog
deep
Reblogged this on Scribble Mat.
Don’t we all wish our stateliness could keep at bay, the crows and the woodcutter’s ax.
That was my favorite line.
Well done.
Absolutely loved this piece! Marvellous work x
What an imagination ! Trees are lovely and of course our oxygen . Can’t think of earth without trees.
I never in my life thought it would happen but, I think you’ve convinced me to be a tree. Now, where to start the transformation process… 😛 Great piece!
Reblogged this on Come Away with me… and commented:
Such An amazing piece ❣