Talking with Trees
In the after-snowfall silence I listen
to the bare trees of winter,
lean in to hear their wisdom whisper—
this is the best time
to scan the patterns of your growth,
decide which branches need pruning,
which offshoots are heading
in the wrong direction.
In the spring,
I will ask these trees how
to stretch my arms wide,
hold myself up to the sky,
allow the furled layers of my heart
to unfold like leaves—
how to use every inch of this openness
to break down toxins,
transform the air and exude
something beneficial,
something to help all those around me
breathe.
—Melissa Huff
Nominated for a 2024 Pushcart Prize
First published by Blue Heron Review, Issue #18, Spring 2024
