earthly voyages

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

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