This Beauteous Earth

A poem told from a tree’s perspective that encourages us to see the beauty and resilience in nature’s quiet, often unnoticed moments.

I begin as a seed buried deep in soft soil,
cradled by dark earth that breathes and shifts beneath me.
Tender shoots stretch toward light,
a quiet hunger for sky and sun.

Seasons turn, gentle hands on my bark, 
winds brush past, sometimes harsh, sometimes kind.
I watch feet come and go—humans with stories,
animals that seek shade, a place to rest.

Roots curl beneath, a hidden world alive with friends—
mushrooms, worms, unseen dancers in the damp earth,
sharing life in ways I will never fully know,
but feel in every pulse of growth.

Years stack like rings within me,
each one holding a memory of rain and drought,
of laughter and silence, of the soft fall of leaves,
colors bleeding into the ground like old songs.

I am part of this place,
a quiet witness to the small miracles:
a nest built, a fawn born, a sunset spilled across sky.
Grateful for the breath of seasons,
the endless gift of change and return.

I stand here, strong and patient,
rooted deep in this world,
alive with the beauty of earth,
and thankful beyond words.

Author’s Note

When I wrote this poem, I wanted to step into the life of something that is often around us but rarely stops to tell its story—a tree. Trees live through so many changes and witness so much more than we realize. They grow slowly, quietly, and yet they hold a deep connection to the world around them, from the soil beneath their roots to the animals that visit them.

I tried to capture that sense of patience and gratitude, the way a tree might feel as it experiences the passing of seasons and the comings and goings of life around it. There’s something humbling about thinking of time from the perspective of a tree, where centuries can pass and every moment still holds meaning.

The poem is also about the hidden life beneath the surface—those small creatures and fungi that help keep the earth alive. It reminds me that even things we don’t see play a big part in the world’s beauty and balance.

My hope is that this piece encourages you to slow down and notice the quiet, ongoing life in nature. Sometimes, it’s in the simplest things—like a tree standing tall—that we find a sense of peace and connection.

Upcoming…

• A poem about a tree in winter:

  Weeping Cherry in Winter, 6 December 2025

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