I love cottonwoods, and the way the leaves shimmer in the breeze.

When I was growing up, we used to spend our summers in a house that had a huge maple tree in the back yard. I used to lie under it and look up into the branches. We also had a swing hanging from one of the branches. When we sold the house, I buried a poem under the tree.

Recently I found out that the new owners cut the tree down, as well as many of the other trees that were on the property. It makes me really sad.

Allison

: Many of you may remember my Radiant
: Tree from a few years ago. I was
: thinking about her this morning as
: I ate breakfast on my porch,
: staring at the spot where she once
: stood – where she watched over me,
: spoke to me, danced for me and
: protected me. If you do not know
: about my Radiant Tree here is a
: little something about her.

: Though this tree did not belong to me
: it was part of my world. It
: brightened my day and shaded my
: face. A few feet outside my
: weathered fence its beautiful
: trunk stood tall and strong and
: mighty. Its long powerful branches
: reaching for the sky, protecting
: me from the sun. Its trunk showed
: the scars of old age. How old? I
: am not sure but old in cottonwood
: years. I could sit for hours and
: just watch this tree dance and
: listen to her sing with the help
: of the wind. It brought such peace
: to my heart. I called it my
: Radiant Tree. Every moment I could
: I thanked Mother Nature for her
: gift to me. I was very saddened
: when my neighbor, who of course
: did not see or feel as I did for
: this tree, reported he was tearing
: it down. He was afraid that the
: tree was getting old and that it
: had become weakened. I could
: almost hear the tree sob as she
: overheard our conversation. I
: cried for this tree, I mourned the
: loss of this Radiant Tree.

: This morning as I sat on my porch
: watching over this spot I started
: thinking of her, remembering her.
: Remembering how even the slightest
: bit of wind would send every leaf
: dancing. Remembering how the wind
: would speak through her.
: Remembering the sounds of her
: songs as the wind urged her to
: sing. Remembering how birds dotted
: through out would singing their
: thanks to her. Remembering how she
: would gently caressed the
: squirrels making them feel
: welcomed and at home. Remembering
: how watching her dance and
: listening to her sing would bring
: such joy to my world and happiness
: to my heart. In her absence it did
: bring another beautiful site – an
: amazing picture of Colorado
: mountains in the far distance.
: This morning as I sat and ate my
: breakfast I remembered her and the
: joy she brought into my world.
: Even in her absence I felt the joy
: and happiness. Like Kathleen says,
: our cells remember. This morning
: beyond a different neighbor’s
: house I noticed another Cottonwood
: Tree, who knows perhaps a distant
: cousin. It to was dancing in the
: light breeze; shaking from it its
: morning drew. The way the waking
: sun kissed the leaves making them
: shimmer was simply breathtaking.
: It was too far for me to hear it
: makes it morning speech, but that
: was okay because at least I could
: see and enjoy its dance. And it
: brought such peace and joy to my
: heart.

: Kari