These Fellows

Olive, lime, ivy, sage, mint, pine, 

These hues shade my vision 

In blurs shaped like clouds 

These leaves 

On their stems and branches supporting 

The richest form of twisting, 

Spiralling, spiking 

Loving, dying 

Life. 

First they rise from their tiny roots 

From a seed, from the embryo of creation; 

First they struggle, a weak little thing 

Then they grow 

And they strengthen 

Strengthening and strengthening 

Growing and growing 

And their long limbs tumble out from their bodies 

And reach for the sky and the ground and out into open air 

And they breathe and live; 

Oh, how they live! 

In this way, these magnificent beings 

Of browns and flowers and blues and greens 

They hold in their branches the things we hold dear, 

And all of the bugs and all of the elephants 

And the giraffes and lions and everything in between. 

So isn’t this the ultimatum: 

Respect what you love 

Acknowledge these fellows we should treasure 

These hues surrounding me 

Of green 

Of trees. 

Greta S, Year 8