Website of the Week

Since it is Friday it is time for our occasional weekly feature, Website of the Week, wherein I share with you a link to a website that I have found useful, informative or interesting. I am interested in and curious about many different things, so you can never tell what might turn up here.

Trees

I think that I shall never see
A poem as lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

by Joyce Kilmer (1886 – 1918)

One of the senseless tragedies of World War One was that the poet Joyce Kilmer was killed during the last days of the war. He died in action near the river Ourcq in France on July 30, 1918 in a battle that was to end only three days later.

His famous poem Trees has always spoken deeply to me. I love trees! Of all the plants, what a magnificent thing a tree is. I am not at all ashamed to admit that I can often be found hugging one of my favourite trees in the forest, or even just down the street in our local park. There are two beautiful silver maples there that I am quite fond of.

Today’s Website of the Week comes courtesy of neatorama.com and is called 10 Most Magnificent Trees in the World. I hope that you enjoy some of the most splendid trees on the earth and that you take the time to contemplate just what a marvellous thing a tree really is.