David Whyte

David Whyte

Trees

the feel of wood grains the forehead

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David Whyte
May 06, 2026
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Photo: © David Whyte

Trees

In writing about trees
the hand
should burst a thousand leaves
on the page
or spread in silhouette
the curled branches
between words

so that as we read
the white hollows between words
can be the wind
or in certain poems, stillness
so that as eyes
descend the page, smoke rises
straight
toward heaven

as the lines descend down
to…
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