I gave all my loneliness to the trees

I gave all my loneliness to the trees—

barefoot, I held them close.

They took it

quietly,

without asking why.

In the beauty of their stillness,

it felt like they understood—

they did not offer comfort,

or cradle,

or cure,

but something else:

compassion.

They just stood there,

green and calm,

taller than my hopes,

unshaken by storms,

silent through loss,

older than my grief.

I really needed

something, or

someone—

whatever,

whoever—

that could bear my weight

and still not

fall over.

And the trees have been

far more embracing

than anyone

I’ve ever met.

.