Saturday, May 16, 2009


Trees, Philip Levine

I sneaked out of the house after helping with the dishes.
I made my way to the deepest center of the woods and
climbed a young maple tree and gazed up into the deepening
sky above. I must have dozed off for a few minutes,
because quite suddenly the stars emerged in a blacker sky.
Although I did not know their names—in fact I did not 
even know they had names—I began to address them 
quietly, for I never spoke with "full-throated ease" until
hidden by the cover of darkness.

A soft wind shook the leaves around me.
From my own hands I caught the 
smell of earth and iron.

The Lawrence Tree, 1929, Georgia O'Keeffe