Plenty of Wood

 It is surprising how often I run across trees in this condition in the woods.  At the end of their lives they have been whittled down by hungry birds and animals in search of insects and the steady encroachment of decay, to one last sinew of their trunks.  I call it the heartwood, that innermost piece of the tree itself and the strongest, left standing while all around its base lie the layers of its life.  The quiet power of the tree reminded me not of how we will all decline, but about the resilient heartwood found in all of us, the source of our courage, stamina, willingness, and boldness.  The place within that is unabashedly devoted, hopeful and encouraging, waiting to be discovered and used to help us build the life we seek.

"There is plenty of wood

for everyone

and you

Go ahead now

May you find

in the waiting wood

rough unspoken

what is true

or nearly true

or

true enough.

John Stone, "Whittling: The Last Class"  from Music from Apartment 8