Prompt: A special tree in my life:
The White Birch Makes My Soul Sing With Joy
There were many Paper Birch trees scattered throughout my forest home. The black markings drew my eyes like a magnet. Arrow-shaped leaves swayed in the slightest breeze. Supple trunks bent with strong winds instead of resisting their force.
When storms passed, they’d snap upright again. I would shinny up their trunk until it couldn’t hold my weight. Then return to the earth as it swung me gently down. They showed me how to be resilient when encountering my own life’s storms.
Birds loved to feast on hanging catkins in the spring. The branches delighted me in the fall as the leaves turned yellow. What a sight when mixed in with the reds and oranges of other deciduous trees.
Clumps of white birch inhabit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. They grew in the forest around our family cabin on Snowbank Lake. This tree is a symbol of the Northwoods. It is native to Alaska, Canada, and the northern States of America.
It can grow as a lone specimen or in clumps of many. The tree gets its name from the thin white bark which peels from the trunk. It is also known as the Canoe Birch or White Birch. Throughout history it has made useful products from footwear to birch-bark canoes.
A birch bark canoe is lightweight, waterproof, and strong. Native Americans soaked birch bark sheets in hot water. Then bent them to fit over Spruce or Cedar frames. Seams were sewn together and sealed with sap. They can be carried over portages easily and respond well to paddles.
I’d like to go by climbing a birch tree~ And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more, But dipped its top and set me down again. That would be good both going and coming back. One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.
Paper Birch trees are beautiful when planted on front lawns. You usually see them clustered with three trunks. It’s a hardier variety from their boreal forest cousins. They are a fast-growing trees of moderate height. Did you know that trees add about 10% to a property’s value?
I’m inspired by William J Spirdione’s sonnets. Thought I would try my own hand at praising my favorite trees. Bear with me. I am a complete novice. Here goes:
An Ode That Glorifies My Favorite Tree
The white birch calls me
My early childhood friend
You set my creativity free
I could paint pictures then
A strip of bark was my canvas
My imagination had free reign
A dash of glue held some moss
A colorful scene was my gain
Your white trunk acts like a beacon
I can find my way without a light
Nighttime doesn’t scare me then
A grove of birch dispels my fright
My campfire burns quickly when lit
Your logs exude a delightful smell
Your warmth gives my spirit a lift
Little smoke to cause tear ducts to well
Humbly accept my apologies. I hope this communicates my love for the Paper Birch Tree.
This article is written in response to the prompt “A Special Tree in My Life.” suggested by Dr. Preeti Singh and Dr. Fatima Imam.
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