I climb to another branch in this Sequoia giant many times older than me. It has stood through day and night, through rain and wind and lightning, yet stands alone strong and tall. I see a view so stunning from my high perch way up here, the valley and the mountains, with mist pouring over the ridges shining silver with sunlight in the early morning sky. My family owns a tree farm and this tree is one of ours. We may fell many others and send them to the mill, but we’ll never cut this tree for it’s ancient and special. I watch an osprey soaring over our emerald forest, over a shaded streamlet and then, catching a thermal, the big osprey drifts away leaving me just a feather. I catch the feather floating and set it in my hair. I smile and write some more in my book of poetry that I keep here in this tree to hold magical moments. Jean Hope Sack, 12Eureka, California
Poetry-Nature
Hidden in Things
They are hidden in a place like a key lost in the dark A plane’s vapor line disappears from the sky An insect flies away from view like a worm crawls beneath the earth A flower you cannot see has withered back in its own pod The lines drawn by our skates vanish from view as the Zamboni drives across the ice Small, cold, tiny snowflakes fall gently from the sky disappearing into a thin layer of snow The water in the stream that was just in front of you has flowed away from where you just saw it A wave begins to form then crashes down to join the others Raindrops fall from the clouds from high above Suddenly they have disappeared into a puddle making a small last splash Lotus Shen, 11Newark, Delaware
Islands in the Clouds
Have you ever climbed a butte in the fog with the sun’s rays slanting visibly through the trees? Have you reached the top, leaving fog and tree behind and seen a sea of white clouds stretching away in all directions? The treetops of other high places poke up through the mist and you dream of a ship that could sail in this sea and bring you to another of the islands in the clouds Sandra Detweiler, 13Eugene, Oregon
