“For Us, The Trees” by Angie Vorhies

For Us, The Trees

if you seize the trees
that grow the children that climb

the trees of mourning
trees that dove their tales

to grim and frail of trees
that cleave us into riftwood

ring and bark like trees
full of cats that firemen must axe

and burn to become books
that wax in our memory

if you leave us cede us
nursery of Christmas

clones treed by doubt beetles
changing climate into treehow

if, if, ips confusus
house of now slash reigns

when the forest is clear
over there will you pine

for trees you cannot see

ANGIE VORHIES

Angie Vorhies is a poet, translator, and co-founder of San Diego Roots, a non-profit dedicated to educating, empowering, and cultivating sustainable local food communities. She is currently a student at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.

Photo Credit: Staff