On Trees

Tree at My Window

Tree at my window, window tree,
My sash is lowered when night comes on;
But let there never be curtain drawn
Between you and me.

Vague dream head lifted out of the ground,
And thing next most diffuse to cloud,
Not all your light tongues talking aloud
Could be profound.

But tree, I have seen you taken and tossed,
And if you have seen me when I slept,
You have seen me when I was taken and swept
And all but lost.

That day she put our heads together,
Fate had her imagination about her,
Your head so much concerned with outer,
Mine with inner, weather.

Robert Frost

Trees are such amazing gifts of nature.  They remind us of the outer and inner nature of life.  Deciduous trees offer resplendent, technicolor scenery in the world of nature.  All the while, their roots grow ever deeper, never seen but providing rich nutrients for gifting the world.

So many in our world focus so much on the outer…outer appearance, outer performance, outer perception and image.  The poet reminds us of our unique ability to be concerned with more than the outer, but also inner growth and depth…the life of the spirit.

Here is a picture friends sent recently of our lake in Minnesota which prompted this sharing and reflections.

In Christ,

Rev. Dr. David D. Young
Senior Minister

This piece originally appeared in The Wave on October 19, 2022