If I must put forth effort to become,

and pry open my petals to the sun,

then let me produce roots deeper than the trees,

and branches that reach higher

and can withstand a stronger breeze.

If I must make the choice for flight,

and find my way to what nourishes life,

then let me discover what the trees don't know,

and grasp more than sunlight

as I learn to grow.

If I must break the silence that the trees observe,

and spend my breath instead of breath conserve,

then let me balance out the burden of a mind,

and speak into being the poetry of trees

that no tree could find.