One midmorning in the spring of 1978, as I took a walk down my block, a sound and a feeling came over me—from a tree. They overcame me. Strong. Indestructible. Everlasting. But not harsh or stern. Gentle, like water flowing in the channel of a stream.

That moment took me to a better place. In that moment, I knew I wanted to live my life like that. I wanted to go with the flow of life, always flowing like water in a stream.

The Singing Tree

Tall as the celestial rim above,
Sturdy as the unbreakable earth below,
Soft as a gentle pendulum swinging side to side

The tree cares for the singing bird that looks for shelter
In the tree’s branch way down below.

You can order my poetry collection, including this poem, here: Reflections of My Heart.

Original text ©2025 by Karen Lynn-Chlup. All rights reserved. Image by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.