The Pecan Grove

I have always loved trees.

When I was a child, I climbed them during spring and summer.

I particularly loved a small cherry tree that stood

in an old orchard near our house.

I also loved a grove of stately old pecan trees

growing in a low area near the river that meandered south of our place.

So when I went to the Arboretum this week,

I was delighted to rediscover the small pecan grove there.

The pecan tree's bark is brownish gray and rough,

and its branches spread high and wide across the sky.

Standing in their shadows reminds me of the first line

in Max Ehrmann's "Desiderata":

Go placidly amidst the noise and haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

~

These pecan trees quietly abide.

Perhaps that is the secret of their tranquility.

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