Breakthroughs: The Tree - by John F.

We received the following letter and poem from a long-time Dharma Friends reader in Texas named John.

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Thank you so much for your hard work knocking out the issues of Dharma Friends. I have enjoyed the many newsletters I have received over my many tenured years in federal prison. I will be going home soon, so I thought I’d send one of my poems along. I wrote this, amongst many others, when I was locked up in solitary for 462 days in the sweltering heat of Texas, sans a/c. Take care. I wish you well.

Always a Dharma Friend,
John

The Tree
by John F.

Not just any old tree, mind you,
One of such majestic might,
But the beauty of the tree outside my window;
The one that has contentedly captured my sight.

As it grew there, this wonderful tree,
Through the ages knowing,
For me it would confide,
Both of us spiritually growing.

Forty feet, if ever a root took.
Its trunk wide and stout, nearly half, plus a foot.
Wispy crops of sinew branches wave from atop,
Laughing and dancing, bestowing me with gentle, lighter thought.

Sparrows spring from limb to limb in excited chatter;
Morning rush hour seems to them all that really matters.
The twigs bend and stretch in a wayward breeze,
Welcoming the daily social, greeting with safety and ease.

The leaves above are young, bright and fresh,
Playing in the sunshine, no time to rest;
While the heavy branches below are broad and shadowed,
The elders too once danced with the sparrows.
Although their leaves will soon fall, so shall the old limb too,
But the knot left behind, its legacy, beauty true.

As the foliage abound rustles the sound of applause,
I guess it’s just a gifted thing, happiness without a cause.
And if there was ever a more personable tree,
In my reflection, this tree outside my window…
Well, it must have grown there…just for me.