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Trees

It all began with this tree, felled during a mighty pre-dawn storm:

When I saw it, I thought to myself: 'Wah, Singapore the wind so strong one, ah?'
People were giving me weird 'Never seen uprooted trees before or what?' kind of looks as I snapped pictures of the poor tree.

I also noticed these trees across the road were looking rather autumn-ish.


Since I was taking these tree pictures, I decided to take other pictures of trees around these parts. And I also remembered this poem, which I learnt as a song in primary school.

TREES
by Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;


Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

Since the summer, winter and robin parts of the poem don't apply to these trees, perhaps someone could do a Jack Neo and 'localise' this poem for these very local trees...

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Anonymous said…
Reminds me of a song I was taught in Pri 4 to appreciate trees... =)

TREE SONG
by Ken Medema
Word Music

I saw a tree by the riverside, one day as I walked along
straight as an arrow and pointing to the sky growing tall and strong
"How do you grow so tall and strong?" I said to the riverside tree
And this is the song that my tree friend sang to me:

Chorus:
I got roots growing down to the water
I got leaves growing up to the sunshine
and the fruit that I bear is a sign of the life in me
I am shade from the hot summer sundown
I am nest for the birds of the Heavens
I'm becoming what the Lord of the Trees has meant me to be
a strong young tree.

I saw a tree in the wintertime when snow lay on the ground
straight as an arrow and pointing to the sky winter winds blew all around
"How do you grow so tall and strong?"
I said to the wintertime tree and this is a song that my tree friend sang to me: *Chorus*

I saw a tree in the city streets where buildings blocked the sun
green and lovely I could see that it gave joy to everyone
"How do you stay so tall and strong?" I said to the downtown tree
and this is a song that my tree friend sang to me.*Chorus*
2:45 pm
Anonymous said…
Hi Bear Hugs,
Thanks for those lyrics! All the people at NParks should be singing these songs and not cutting trees down.
12:17 pm
Anonymous said…
Yay! When I was young my mum used to sing me that song.
3:33 pm
Anonymous said…
we used to sing that at Riverside Elementary School in New Jersey.
10:37 pm
Kevin said…
i used to sing this song in church choir when i was a kid! thanks so much of reminding me of it!!
5:18 am
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