The Poet's Room

Leaves, Green Hand -- The Entwining Spiral of Life *       Tree **  Eats brilliant sunrays Uplifts feathered green arms Bridges blue sky, brown earth.       Not only do I talk to trees, I touch trees. Yet who touches whom? Where does the impetuous or desire come to lay my hand on a tree, feel the bark, leaves, branches, and twigs. To commune with nature through tactile contact.  The book, The Heart Beat of Trees,   details research on the benefits we humans receive from being in the presence of trees. The author a German forester took a television personality out into the woods to measure the physiological impact on her body. First though he measured  her blood pressure and pulse rate while walking in a city. Not surprisingly her blood pressure and pulse rate dropped in the forest. Japanese researchers tested subjects, no not white mice,  real humans, some subjects they sent to visit a forest and some subjects they sent to walk in the city. They found that cancer killing cells and anti

Brown Trout on Grass!                      Twas  the beginning of June on a late Tuesday afternoon. On a trout  stream that shall  forever remain anonymous for reasons that will become obvious.  Early on this Trout Fisherman experienced some technical difficulties. The setting beautiful, a shady spot with overhanging trees, a deep pool of cold water upstream, fast water rippling over rocks. A willow tree grew out of the middle of the rippling water on a bit of raised rock and soil a bit of an island. The willow spread limbs over most of the streaming water then another pool where the water gathered before flowing on.  The lower pool had depth and logs, a place where trout could  lay in wait, let the cold water bring them food. In fisherman terminology a "Good H ole." A place sure to hold trout.     Innocent Looking Willow, Don't Be Fooled!   Now what the Trout Fisherman said after casting many times in vain to the Willow;  "Why, oh why? Pray tell thee to me, why dost