Member: flurryofdarkness

"THE HEART OF THE TREE"

What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants a friend of sun and sky;
He plants the flag of breezes free;
The shaft of beauty, towering high;
He plants a home to heaven high;
For song and mother-croon of bird
In hushed and happy twilight heard---
The treble of heaven's harmony---
These things he plants who plants a tree.
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants cool shade and tender rain,
And seed and bud of days to be,
And years that fade and flush again;
He plants the forest's heritage;
The harvest of a coming age;
The joy that unborn eyes shall see---
These things he plants who plants a tree.

What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants, in sap and leaf and wood,
In love of home and loyalty
And far-cast thought of civic good---
His blessings on the neighborhood
Who in the hollow of His hand
Holds all the growth of all our land---
A nation's growth from sea to sea
Stirs in his heart who plants a tree.

by Henry Cuyler Bunner
1855-1896

posted by theoldman at 8:50 am (EST) on Nov 16, 2009