Redwood Trees – Journey Among the Giants
Redwood Trees
Come journey among the giants with me,
Redwood trees, tall and straight, they are giants
Of the forest, each majestic and free,
Standing far above the forest silence,
Look up, tops so high we can barely see
As they all sway in peaceful ambiance,
Their beauty is in perfect harmony
With the winds, sun and sky in the distance,
Being down here I feel so humble,
As we gaze at majesty far above,
Each giant stands in perfect formation,
Let your heart open to love, become full.
I am filled with so much respect and love.
For these giants of splendid Creation.
~
When I was a teenager I was sent to live with my older sister and her husband in California. Gone were the days of life on the farm and the family was growing apart due to a major crisis. My two older brothers were away in the army, one of my younger brothers was shot in a hunting accident, and Mom and Dad were in the process of a divorce. The shock of all this was devastating to all of us. Thankfully my younger brother survived with good doctors and physical therapy.
After the divorce Mom and the three youngest kids joined us in California. We found a house close to my sister and our new life, so very different than ever, began. After the perfect childhood we had, I could not adjust to the different life style. I became very depressed and withdrawn. I missed my Dad so much I cried myself to sleep every night.
The only thing that gave me some joy were the Redwood trees. Almost every Sunday in good weather my sister and her husband took us all up to the mountains for a picnic. The profound beauty and majesty took me far from all my sorrow. There is a silence there that must be experienced to understand. After I got used to the silence on my lone walks, I began to hear something far above me, a steady sound that was very comforting. It was the wind blowing through the tree tops high above. I could not feel the wind because of the denseness of the forest. I felt as though the Redwood trees were talking gently to me. Walking among the Redwood giants was like being in a world of peace, where I could enjoy nature and the profound majesty of those trees. It was there, among the Redwoods, where I began my healing and found my spirituality.
~~~~
© 2017 Phyllis Doyle Burns
I have always liked to write.It is important to me that writing comes from my heart and soul. When writing poetry, if I do not feel a spiritual connection to what I am writing on, I will discard it and go on to something I can connect with on a spiritual level. I live in the moment, I write from the past or beyond the veil. When writing fiction I go with whatever inspires me at the moment - it could be funny, sorrowful, romantic or sometimes done with the use of colloquial language from mountain folk or other cultural regions.
I began writing content online in 2007, starting with BellaOnline - A Voice For Women, where I was the Native American Editor, Folklore & Mythology Editor, and the Appalachian Editor. I also wrote articles forThe Examiner, Daily Two Cents, and Yahoo. I am currently an author on HubPages.
Most of what I write takes a lot of research and I love it. Even if it is a fictional story, I will research for accuracy in whatever it takes to make my characters, their era, their location, etc. become realistic to the reader.
I hope you enjoy my works. Thank you for visiting.
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Thanks for sharing a very personal rendering of your childhood and the difficulty of family breaking apart. Nature has always been a solace for me too and a way to balance all the negative feelings and emotions. Well done Phyllis.
Thank you so very much Tony. I deeply appreciate it.
What a beautiful ending to a sad happening my friend . Now I begin to see why you are such a wonderful person , for who and what else would we become but the best that you can be ? Although I am sorry for that childhood , I am reminded of my own love of the redwoods , having been there. in northern California . I read a line this morning and would love to take credit for it but can’t ; ” The awesome beauty of the world is reflected in one drop of dew on the grass ”
Hold onto those memories my friend !…………Ed
Dear Ed, thank you my friend for such an uplifting and supportive comment. I so appreciate you. I love that quoted line, thank you for sharing it. I would love to walk through the redwoods with you – what a wonderful spiritual journey that would be. Yes, I will hold on to those memories and cherish them always. It was ten years before I saw my Dad again and we continued our close bond as if we were never apart. I do believe he was spiritually with me in the redwoods and that is why I felt so much comfort there. I learned so much from my dear father. Thanks again my friend. Take care.
Trees are so close to my heart too. It’s so comforting to spend time amongst them, isn’t it? So beautiful when we can feel close to nature and see something so much older, longer-lasting and wonderful than ourselves!
You have imparted such emotion through this – a sense of love, loss, pain and then a renewed serenity. Nature is our lifeline in so many ways. I’m so glad you found your father again. I couldn’t imagine my childhood without mine, so my heart goes out to you.
Thanks, by the way, for all your help here at TCE. I’ve started publishing a few more pieces and I can’t wait for the details of the short story anthology!
Best wishes,
Ann
Ann, thank you so much. I always love to hear from you. You are most welcome for the help. Take care and best wishes to you.