Seth Lewis

Said the Robin to the Oak Tree:
“Friend, I think that you must be
The saddest living thing
That the world has ever seen.

Just look at me, and you’ll see why:
I catch the wind and soar on high
While you stay rooted to the ground
And wave your silly branches.

I’ve seen beyond the mountain tops
And fields full up with cows and crops
To where the land abruptly stops
And waves and sea-gulls shout.

I’ve seen the cities built by man
Their roads and rails crisscross the land
And from a friendly human hand
I’ve tasted French baguette.

But you—
You fell down as a seed
And stuck yourself right down, indeed
Of a more boring life to lead
I simply cannot fathom.”

Said the Oak Tree to the Robin:
“Much of what you say is true
But as to your conclusions,
They simply will not do.

I will not move, and that’s a fact
But roots have kept my place intact
I buttress earth and stop the rain
From washing soil down the drain.

And yes, my branches are not wings
But they can do amazing things
They break the wind so crops can rest
And hold your babies in the nest.

I give the squirrels something to eat
I give your friends a place to meet
Give tired legs a shady seat
And clean the air you breathe.

My world is small, I cannot roam
This place is all, my only home
I do not need to see the rest
I’ll make my spot its very best.”

Seth Lewis is the author of Dream Small: The Secret Power of the Ordinary Christian Life and is an elder at Midleton Baptist Church in County Cork. He and his wife Jessica have three children, a turtle, and a small garden. Seth writes weekly at sethlewis.ie.

Advertisement