oh that i might shortly go beneath arching crown and shade below to massive, ageless, mystic trees oh dear god, the redwoods please by Rachel Clark Moscow, ID

The Patience of Redwoods so graceful the seed that carries the leaves that live in the clouds above you and me so care free the branches that blow in the breeze that sway with the sound of these dancing leaves such a wonder, how high these leaves can see all the birds, all the distance every little creeping thing such patience, the roots the trunk, and the rings generations, take heed listen to what it means no storm can weather no river, no stream can wash away forever you can see it in the trees by Wesley John Greco, as seen on www.facebook.com/wgreco

A Night in the Redwoods The perfect campsite is all about trees Towering redwoods can minimize degrees We feel cradled and safe when they surround us Their beauty and statue is simply stupendous Amazing that from a tiny cone comes a seed That in many years yields a giant indeed The mighty redwoods thrill me to the core They're stately pillars that hold high Heaven's floor It touches my soul to witness shafts of light That filter through the forest, what a grand sight With the breeze on my face and the wind at my back It makes me feel that there's nothing I lack A crackling fire does more than warmth give The sight and smell of it gives us reason to live When we're by the campfire and away from strife We exclaim many times, "This is how to live life!" When breakfast sizzles and coffee brews on the stove The aroma of it meanders all through the grove There is just nothing tastier than camp cooked food Nothing more delicious to alter one's mood After a night in the forest, we feel strong as a redwood Now we can get back to those duties we should Life looks different somehow from above Peace is restored and strength we have more of Recalling the memories of camps in the past Gives me fodder for daydreams that is sure to last My heart, like embers in the campfire, glows And my soul is content from my head to my toes by Marsha Lewis

The Semperviren Environ As rain gives way to sun in May From the sea ne'r far away brewin' offshore is nature's tea A sailor's curse night and day Onshore winds blowin' misty quen-cha flora thirsty Foggy nectar cools the clime as tree tops high sway-a bit, tipsy Found under this canopy sublime duff and litter succumb to slime Here in shade with little sun fires burn cool from time to time Lee-side of a coastal canyon Stream-side of a salmon run It's here and only here don't you know In a semperviren environ The World's Tallest Trees Do Grow

by Clayton Robbins

A Tree A tree here, will sprout today Emerging upward, on its way From rich loam of Mother Earth The radiant sun, invokes birth Up from its dark moist womb Life begins with modest bloom Ingrained strength tells its fate Centuries of growth to celebrate The sprout aspires ever higher In soil enriched by flood & fire Rise gloriously tall, Your Majesty Here proudly rooted for all to see In your eminence a natural wonder You grace us with shade found under Live on in forests, forever more In your ascension, Our spirits soar! by Clayton Robbins

A Leaf A leaf here, will fall today Gently towards its decay Born from their stems Hung from tree limbs They adorn each twig Some small, some big A tree they nourish Will naturally flourish They've done their all Whence comes their fall Some fancy to roam On their way to loam Some rustle under feet Others color your street Gold, red, green & yellow Some bright, some mellow Their destiny, since birth Is to soil Our Mother Earth by Clayton Robbins inspired by Big Leaf Maples (a companion to Sempervirens) & Mary Ann Sanneman 2009

A Creek A creek here, flows along Eternally singing her song Born from yon mountain She springs forth a fountain Her surface a mirror to trees Needled or laden with leaves In winter her banks do strain From generous a deposit of rain Come summer, her rhythm slows In dulcet tones, she gently flows It's, peace and serenity I seek Whilst in the company of a creek by Clayton Robbins April 2010

The Redwood Tree Silence beckons me as I ponder in awe The sheer magnitude of strength that towers above me I stand silenced as I take a deep breath My head is filled with the scent of lemon and pine I close my eyes; I never want to forget this moment I’ve left the earth as I’ve known it And entered a magical land from long, long ago As I reverently approach a nearby giant I reach out my hand to place it on the burned scared mark Ancient scars of history are written there, etched within the bark I reflect on all this living giant has endured, century after century A thousand years, some, a few, for over two thousand And yet, they remain, tall, steadfast and true You can almost hear them laughing As they tell of all they’ve been through I look up as I must, to the canopy above me Like a beautifully painted cathedral window Redwood branches filter the suns rays With thousands of beaming streams of light Reaching down to me through the trees embrace Like a gentle tap on my shoulder I realize the quiet existence that surrounds me The quiet causes me to ponder my own life’s journey New feelings are brought forth… I listen So still, so tranquil, and yet, so predominant So much time spent looking up…to come upon one fallen I reach my hand to touch the roots of this resting giant Roots that intertwined with the roots of its family Intertwined to find strength from those it was closest to Gathering strength to withstand, holding on together… I cried when I entered the Redwood forest When I thought about all these masterpieces had endured When I witnessed the strength there When I experienced… The Redwood Tree by Susan Heeren, Overland Park, Kansas composed during a visit to the coast redwoods in Fall 2010

I hear the birds I see the squirrels And enjoy the sounds And sights of nature As I go around the bend, I see a grove of trees. Tall and majestic, I walk toward it, Crunching the leaves and sending an aroma swirling behind me. When I get to the center I am in my own place, My own forest, My own world. Around me there are six trees Grown from one fallen, Knights guarding their king. Saplings grow between them, Like children awakening in wonder. There is a whole kingdom here, And many stories to read. by Julianna, participant in the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s 2010 summer camp, which was held in the redwoods and sponsored by the League’s Education Grants Program.

A Bench A bench here; invites pause Rest a spell, forget the cause Un-laden thy feet, for a bit Have this minute, a respite Deep breath, the fragrant fare Drown in richly textured air Listen while you’re sitting Sensing, what you’re missing Peaceful tones here are found A forest quiet, is welcome sound High above this leaf torn sky Hark, a Red-tail’s forlorn cry Senses forsaken, here awaken, This is; ‘Natural-Detoxification’! by Clayton Robbins | © 2010 written while sitting on a bench at Muir Woods, in his 'nature-hood'