Gospel of the Redwoods

Gospel of the Redwoods – A Song
V1.

When the poet asked the redwoods

About their long past lives

They laughed so hard their seed cones

Came afallin’ from the skie

We never die, said the mothers,

To the representatives of youth

Our roots they keep on propagating

New generations of same old me

And when we fall tall over

We’re still standing don’t you see.

Chorus:

We told this to the Yurok

And they quickly understood

No beginnings and no endings

Ever conscious, ever wood.

V2.

And what I asked of happiness

Are you only old and wide

Or is there something more to know 

Of what goes on inside

And again the mighty redwoods laughed

From their roots up to their roof

You humans are such dizzy folk

We’re not quite sure you’d know the truth

Our branches are in love with light

We’re earthly bound and heaven sent

Surrounded by our friends and kin

We see and feel without lament

Chorus

V3.
You know of height, you know of light
In each of which you take delight
You feel some things I’ll never know
You know the grounds on which you grow
You know of weight and health and kin
You never stop nor quite begin
You’re a continuum of life and pleasure 
A gift for which there is no measure
Not in weeks, not days or nights
You are the mighty redwoods, 
Lovely objects of delight

Chorus

V4.
Our talk then turned to consciousness
And I’d much more to as
As I tried to wrap my mind ‘round them 
and failed in this task.
“I weigh 500 tons.” one said, 
“Yet feel quite light and thin
I’m tall and straight and happy
When I play with the north wind
I stand erect on one tap root
And dance with moons and stars
And point the compass of my passions
Toward Venus and toward Mars

Chorus