In Honour of National Tree Day

How can I NOT pay tribute to that which I love: trees! It's National Tree Day after all! I absolutely LOVE trees! Do you? Do you touch them, hug them, talk to them, and even 'bless' them? I do!

Yes, I may be 'crazy' doing that, but that's okay. My inner child is doing that 'cause she adores trees and why should I stop her? She isn't harming them!

Look very closely at the photo below: What do you see? Tell me... ;)

If you guessed a heart shape you were right! I see heart-shaped objects so often, including in nature. (See my blog post dated February 17, 2012: http://xpressyouressence.blogspot.ca/2012/02/communications-from-my-dead-twin.html).

Here is a story/prose poem(?) I referred to in yesterday's post on autumn that I wrote when I was about 15 or 16, entitled, "Autumn Glory":

The countryside with its rolling hills, fields and pastures are full of colour and beauty as autumn appears. The trees await the moment for their leaves to turn into ripening and artistic colours of brilliant yellows, bright oranges, blazing reds, and deep rust browns. A touch of charm is added to the proud trees making them more lively and dignified. Gentle breezes ripple the leaves showing off their dazzling colours and boasting to the other trees about their dignity.* (I think I meant ‘splendour.’)

I stand bewildered and spellbound as I gaze up at the trees with awe. My spine tingles and I hold my breath as I look up at a tall, sparkling, all-red coloured maple tree. I am thrilled and delighted by this inspiration.

The leaves murmur among themselves, bravely preparing for the coming of winter. Then, as if by magic, the leaves drop onto the ground leaving the trees bare.

I used to like scuffling through the dry leaves as I walk and hearing the crunch of the crisp leaves. Now as I learn the magnificence of nature and the roles in which the trees play, I realize that I shouldn’t disturb the leaves but let them die peacefully.

The melancholy trees moan and mourn for the loss of their leaves as winter approaches. The trees shiver from the cold as they are unprotected. So the trees hibernate instead, until spring blooms again.

This is what autumn is like to me.

Do you love trees? What is your favourite and why?

Part 2: Tribute to Mothers ... and 'mothers'

Soprano: Alexis Jorgenson, Alto: Elly Stornebrink, Pianist: Matt Grinke, Violinist: Brienne Powers, Drummer: Marilyn Mann

How silly of me! I had forgotten that there were two other main reasons for agreeing to sing The Mummer’s Dance by Loreena McKennit on Mother’s Day. Was it just two weekends ago?! (This month is sure flying by!)

As a result of a warm-up during the byoV choir rehearsal where members were sounding notes, i.e., toning and humming, I ended up standing relatively near Alexis. A male choir member commented on the lovely harmony we created which I had also noted – pardon the pun (as they just come out of me spontaneously). Thus, I thought we might sound good together creating a nice harmony - had this in mind - when Alexis asked if anyone from the alto section was interested in singing the chorus of a song as backup.

The other reason I had agreed to singing a duet with her was simply that I love that song, rather the music in the song, at least initially. What I mean is that I actually was not even aware of the words to this song beforehand. It wasn’t until Alexis sent me the link to the video that I could learn the words as I read and heard them. Consequently, I love the song even more and in fact, I consider this my favourite of Loreena’s songs.

This is due to the fact that I love nature, especially springtime and trees.Could I be a 'tree worshipper'? – I love to touch, hug, and ‘bless’ trees (occasionally) as I walk by.

I also love to gaze at the moon and stars and do that as often as I can – I have witnesses! – and love to hear birds singing. And furthermore, I love to dance, though I haven’t around trees, at least not yet! ;)

In her own words, Loreena refers to a book that suggests that “mumming has its roots in the tree-worshipping* of the peoples who inhabited great regions of a forested Europe now long gone.” There’s that word* again! (Hmmm…wonder if they were perhaps Celtic and Pagan?) (http://www.quinlanroad.com/explorethemusic/bookofsecrets.asp?type=notes&id=534)

“Mumming usually involves a group of performers dressing up in masks (sometimes of straw) and clothes bedecked with ribbons or rags, and setting out on a procession to neighbouring homes singing songs and carrying branches of greenery. It’s primarily associated with springtime and fertility, and it has a cast of stock characters, like the Fool, which recurs in some form or another from Morris dancing to the shadow puppet plays of Turkey and Greece and even the morality plays of the Middle Ages.”

“Black Sheep Morris and Mummers” aka “Bowen Island Black Sheep Mummers” (http://www.bowenblacksheep.ca/) are not the only mummers in BC. This troupe dress primarily in black rags with colourful ribbons. They’re quite an interesting lot of musicians/dancers in both their look and sound.

I couldn’t quite make out what they were when I saw them for the first time about a year or so ago. I would have if I had understood the meaning of Loreena’s song beforehand!

What aspects of nature do you love and how do you express it?

O Christmas Tree, O Just Like Me ...

No matter if you are a human being, an ant or a bee, or even a tree – hey I love to rhyme! – you, we, are all important and each have a role to play here on this earth (no matter how big or small).

A month before Christmas, a neighbour denuded or raped a tree violently (with professional tree cutters) of its beautiful hanging cedar branches. This tree who once held many birds, that sweetly sang, in its arms like a human mother with her baby. In fact, just the weekend prior, I witnessed a number of blue stellar jays fly up to perch beneath its bounteous green, seemingly cradled and caressed.

I LOVE trees, can you tell!? Some of you might consider me a tree worshipper possibly in disguise. Indeed, my twitter name includes ‘treehugger’ with a photo of me hugging a tree which I do from time to time. I used to, for instance, hug ‘Big Doug,’ a tall pine tree amidst others in a forest clearing at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. I’d get a friend to join me in hugging it whenever we went by to visit the grounds, and would do so in her absence when she wasn’t able to join me.

Have you ever wondered something along the lines of: If everything is energy, would this tree (and any tree for that matter) have spirit, i.e., a heart and soul (metaphorically speaking of course!)?

Inanimate objects may not speak with words, but they may ‘whisper.’ I know a person who actually hears trees, what messages they have to share. I consider him a tree whisperer: think horse whisperer. I bet he’s not the only one.

I imagine trees feel perhaps somewhat like animals with non-verbal communication, more powerful than words as we humans know: a plant or flower withers and dies, or not.

When I originally wrote a draft of this posting, my questions were: Will this tree die? What will become of it? Will new growth appear from its many mini-stumps like that which occurs in forests?

Potential growth or not, I had such a strong urge, a deep longing to hug this tree – what was left of it! – to console it, pray over it, and offer it some loving, tender healing touch. I felt though that it was probably too late to do so, and furthermore, I would be trespassing on my neighbour’s property and feared potential consequences. I wish I hadn’t been concerned for me, but more for the tree.

Yes, I admit, fear kept me from sharing my love for this tree, my ‘other’ unspoken neighbour who seemingly didn’t have a voice. Why did I not advocate for it? Fight for its rights to be and to live in one piece. As I write that I also think of the word ‘peace.’

I wrote a poem this summer when I was in a very relaxed and peaceful state entitled, “What I Learn from Trees.” Hmmm, if the computer would allow me to type it with single spacing, then you would see it her; however, it is not cooperating with me now! (And yes, I did check the setting for spacing.)

This tree unfortunately did not make it. Eventually it was brought to its ultimate death in the form of a stump as it was deemed ugly and unbearable to look at. Such a shame, such a loss as it not only served as a shelter and abode for wildlife, but also a protection from the elements for me, not to mention just to simply witness its glorious, natural beauty and earthy scent.

It had served its purpose(s), albeit short-lived.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely were thy branches!

What gifts do trees offer you? And, how are you like a tree?