I open my eyes at dawn.
My trunk is gnarled,
And my roots twisted.
But as the sun rises,
Warmth floods me,
And I stretch out my branches.
When the light hits the ground,
I take in my surroundings,
And bow my head in grace.
I don’t know how I happen to grow,
In a meadow of wildflowers,
And I’m full of happiness.
I laugh a jolly laugh,
Until the birds fly out of my leaves,
And the air is full of chirps and trills.
The squirrel jumps from branch to branch,
The caterpillar wiggles around me,
And the rabbit hops all over the place.
I shelter all the little beings,
Full of pride,
And tenderness.
I can’t scurry around like them,
Night and day at will,
And that makes me think.
I would miss all there is,
To see, to hear, to smell,
And feel when you are still.
I’m rooted.
I’m solid.
And I’m proud of the way I exist.
Tasneem Dairywala 