On Coppiced Trees

A little poem from ‘The Coracle’ – the magazine published by and for the Iona Community.
It speaks of the ‘strength’ of growing things to heal themselves and to keep living despite the hacking and the pruning and their seeming destruction.  It reminds us of our own ‘well-spring’, – God ‘s presence within us, and in all things; providing us with a never diminishing ‘living water’ with which to refresh and heal ourselves.

‘On coppiced trees’

On trees, cut – and growing again,
cut – and growing again.
The patience you have is so miraculous.
Stopped, and yet you decide to start up, all again.
Bereft of leaves and fruit, and there you go, a first green leaf showing up.
Please can you spare some of this patience for me?
Please can you help this planet, cut, and cut, and cut, to keep going, keep going;
A place to live,
a tree planted with its roots reaching to the living water.

( written by Roel Bosch)