The Power of Poe-tree

Life is not about the outcome, it is about “Being”. Us humans tend to divide the world into right and wrong, and good or bad. We constantly judge our experiences. We constantly judge others and we even judge our own creations. Daring to write how we want to write can help us grow. For many people poetry is the tear that has never been shed, the scream that no one ever heard, and the vulnerability that has never been shown to anyone. There is no need to keep our words hidden in the depths of our hearts. Who knows, someone else might need to hear exactly what we have to say. When we live authentically, we don’t need to react anymore to our outer conditions. We can share our own voice in our own unique way. We can truly be ourselves. Being leads to creating.

Trees are powerful teachers.

I shared a lot about trees and nature in former essays. I think nature is our most valuable teacher. We often forget that we are a part of nature. Nature shows us how to just be and that is why we often are able to relax in nature. Nature never judges us. A tree isn’t sad about losing its leaves in the winter whereas we often sit and complain about the “dark seasons”. However, nature is a beautiful mirror that dark and light both are needed. Rest is needed to be able to be active. Letting go is needed for new things to sprout. We will always find ways to create our lives, no matter what is happening around us. We have the same power inside of us that a tiny green plant carries to break through the asphalt. Our mind is the most powerful tool ever. Our thoughts are our brush with which we paint the picture of our life. Even with only a few colors we can create a radiant painting, ever expanding if we remember that we are allowed to colour outside the lines. For many people creative arts are an expression of freedom, because we are totally free in our minds to create.

My favourite tree in our city gardens. I am always amazed how trees constantly find ways to stay alive.

Since I set foot in this world I’ve had a deep love for nature. I took my dolls outside and let them live in little tree houses. I just liked to see them sitting in the trees. There was something about the greens of the trees — a magic that I didn’t fully understand at that time. As I grew older I started to write poetry. The most common topics for me were nature and love. Fortunately, I just wrote my words before we analyzed poetry at school.

The way we learn about poetry at school is overly intellectual, the word “analyzing” alone gives that away. We learn about rhythm and rhetorical devices and make poor attempts to find that one tiny meaning that the poet intended to bring forth with his lines. We didn’t play with words. We didn’t arrange them unstructured. We didn’t learn to unbox the mystery of the space between the words. We didn’t speak the words aloud to hear the sounds hanging in the air. I am happy that in the days of Social Media, more poets and writers that pour their hearts out in poetry and prose can be seen. Thus, creation is fuelled and spreads its seeds. A while ago I found a post of my Instagram friend Will Johnson saying that his daughter engaged him in a spelling practice. Trying to spell poetry she insisted that there is a “m” in poetry, as she called it “poemtree”. Will’s association of a tree that grows poems which people can pick resonated instantly with me. Fueled with inspiration I started to grow my own poemtree. I thought about creating a poem that grows word by word, like a tree, without real structure, bending to the left and right, words that can be read in many different ways.

This is the result:

Here are three different versions of how you can read the poem:

Version 1: Roots deeply entangled with the very core reaching for more sprouting in possibility held by the darkness tickled by light growing stronger and longer the arms are exploring to the left and to the right as it's gaining height an abundance of green never needing to be seen As some leaves touch the sky reaching worlds out of sight as some leaves draw their veins in fallen red flames. Version 2: Roots deeply entangled with the very core sprouting in possibility reaching for more held by the darkness tickled by light growing stronger and longer as it's gaining height the arms are the keepers of nuts or of fruits dropping their seeds to grow more roots. Version 3: Roots deeply entangled with the very core sprouting in possibility reaching for more held by the darkness tickled by light

as some leaves touch the sky

reaching worlds out of sight growing stronger and longer as it's gaining height an abundance of green never needing to be seen kissed by the wind and tickled with warmth as they are lovingly held by the universe's arms resilience and persistence confident in it's very existence.

Maybe you start to grow your own poem-tree. Let the inspiration flow!

Thank you so much for reading!

Lots of love,

Sadhbh

Here are some ideas to strengthen your relationship with trees:

• Go to the forest and hug some trees. When you do, try to feel the energy of the tree infusing you with strength and courage.

• Watch the trees bending in the wind, see the dance of the leaves. Sometimes it looks as if the trees or plants are bowing to you. Take it as a sign that you can be proud of yourself for just being you.

• Go for a walk and collect some fallen leaves. Take them home with you. Maybe you want to glue them to a sheet of paper and draw something around it, or write an inspiring quote on it.

• Plant a tree. Springtime is the time to take care of the garden, so maybe you want to plant a new tree. Take this tree as a symbol that growth takes time. Be gentle with yourself on your journey as you are with the young, growing tree.

• Go into the forest and just listen to the sounds the trees make. Hear the rustling of the leaves and their creaking sounds. Do they whisper some message to you?