(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . The Life of a Tree [1] ['Douglas Schonenberg', 'Greg Dworkin', 'Angela Marx'] Date: 2026-06-12 I wrote this poem more than thirty years ago after the death of my uncle. Over the years, I have read it at funerals for family and friends. Each time I read it, the words take on a slightly different meaning. When I first wrote it, I thought it was about death. As I’ve grown older, I have come to realize it is really about life. It is a poem about the roots we put down, the people who sustain us, the storms we endure, and the memories we leave behind. Most of all, it is about the realization that our lives are measured not by how long we stand in the great forest, but by the shelter, warmth, and wisdom we provide to those who share the journey with us. I hope you enjoy reading this poem and it makes you feel and think a little bit more about life, death and the meaning in between. —-————————————————- Life of a Tree You begin your life as an acorn, a gift to nature, full of promise and hope. The acorn give birth to a sapling, as you start to grow, you wonder what life has in store for you, what you have to offer to the great forest. You begin to spread your roots into the dirt, reaching for the nutrients that will keep you alive: Family, Friends, Love, and Affection. Each year, another ring is added to the circle of life. You branch out into new directions as you struggle to reach the sky, the limits of your mortality. Each branch contains leaves. As each new leaf spawns, another memory; another experience; another triumph; another failure is added to your memories. Soon you are awash in the most magnificent of colors as your leaves turn to the colors of the rainbow. The beauty that is you adds to the overall enchantment of the great forest. Some of your branches will break off and fall to the ground: Wrong turns in life’s road, failed romances, and failed expectations. Some of your branches will grow stronger toward the heavens: The successes of your life, the great love affairs and the great friendships, the personal and professional achievements that bring you happiness and a sense of fulfillment. You continue to grow and get stronger as the years go by. Your bark gets tougher; confronting each challenge with determination that no matter what storm confronts you, you will survive. At the zenith of your existence, you are taller than all the other trees in the great forest. You marvel at the view, at how extraordinary life truly is. You think to yourself that this moment will last for all eternity. Unfortunately, this absolute joy does not last. You finally begin to whither from the constant onslaught that Mother Nature sends at you. Each storm chips away at your body’s reserves. Each winter weakens you, takes a little away from your soul. Your leaves abandon you as they start to fall off, never to return: People you care about start to fade away; friendships are forgotten; past achievements no longer matter; newer and stronger trees start forcing you out from your space in the great forest. Finally, the day comes when your trunk can no longer support you. The body you have counted on every day of your life no longer has the strength to fight against the greatest threat of all, time. Your trunk splits in a final storm. You topple over, crashing into the earth that you sprung from. Returning to an old embrace, one that never will forget you or let your memory die as your body does. Finally, after years of battle, you are at peace. A peace that you can never know in life. A peace that is well deserved. You look down from your final resting place at those that touched your life: The little squirrels who found sustenance with your acorns; the little birds who found shelter beneath your leaves and branches until they were strong enough to fly away on their own. The remaining trees that are left behind in the great forest are saddened by this loss: those who knew you, those who were touched by your warmth and compassion, will forever have a hole in their hearts where you once resided. You see all of this and smile. You smile, knowing that while your time in the great forest was brief, it was a time well spent. You made a difference in your all too brief time on this plane. Your counsel inspired those who heard your wisdom. Your character inspired your children to find their own path in the great forest. Your love warmed the hearts of the trees that were the closest to you. You have fought the good fight and have won. You will never be forgotten. Farewell to you my dear Tree. Our time together was too short but I shall always treasure the time we had. —-———————————— Thank you for sitting under the tree with me and listening to my musings. If you enjoyed this poem, please consider joining my substack, Musings Under My Tree. I talk about empathy, personal growth, being S.A.F.E, some politics, and basically anything that comes across my mind as I am sitting under my tree. https://musingsunderthetree.substack.com/p/welcome-to-my-tree?r=1s6ofh [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/6/12/800054145/community/the-i-wrote-the-following-poem-more-than-thirty-years-ago-after-the-death-of-my-uncle/ Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/