GBMD: A Seed

Teeny tiny birch seedlings and moss on my patio - I won't be letting any of these grow into a tall, green tree!

See how a Seed, which Autumn flung down,
And through the Winter neglected lay,
Uncoils two little green leaves and two brown,
With tiny root taking hold on the clay
As, lifting and strengthening day by day,
It pushes red branchless, sprouts new leaves,
And cell after cell the Power in it weaves
Out of the storehouse of soil and clime,
To fashion a Tree in due course of time;
Tree with rough bark and boughs' expansion,
Where the Crow can build his mansion,
Or a Man, in some new May,
Lie under whispering leaves and say,
"Are the ills of one's life so very bad
When a Green Tree makes me deliciously glad?"
As I do now. But where shall I be
When this little Seed is a tall green Tree?

William Allingham (1824-1889)

Comments

  1. Clint Baker1 April 2012 at 10:41

    Its amazing that a little seed creates such a big thing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Donna@Gardens Eye View1 April 2012 at 13:44

    Lovely poem...I will be thwarting ash and maple seedlings this spring and summer...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mr. McGregor's Daughter1 April 2012 at 15:16

    Happy April! That looks like my front walk. I have to admit to resorting to tweezers to get some of the weed seedlings out. It's not like I'm obsessed or anything. Really...

    ReplyDelete
  4. VP2 April 2012 at 08:13

    Clint - it certainly is!

    Donna - I have ash and maple to deal with too

    MMD - I've not resorted to tweezers yet, perhaps that's where I've been going wrong?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nutty Gnome3 April 2012 at 15:54

    I've never come across this lovely poem before - but I have come across thousands of seedlings! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. elaine 4 April 2012 at 11:00

    I have lots of cherry tree seedlings which have happily sown themselves in the bark paths - 'off with their heads'. Lovely poem I haven't come across before.

    ReplyDelete
  7. VP7 April 2012 at 08:08

    NG - we have 1000s of seedlings to - it comes with living next to lots of trees!

    Elaine - I'm glad I discovered the poem for Muse Day :)

    ReplyDelete

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