Three trees helped Tampa Bay poet Edmarie Aponte write 'Ode to the Dryads'

“Ode to the Dryads” is a dedication piece to the trees that provide comfort and insight through the sacred connection of life and energy.

As I was laying in a hammock perfectly placed in the center of three trees (in which I often spend time with) I allowed myself to sink into a meditative state. While the buzzing of bees and the chirping of birds played in the background of my consciousness I laid my feet down on the ground to feel the vibrations through the soil.

I asked out loud “what is a message you’d like me to share” in which I typed freely what came to mind. The reminder that all of life is connected. My mind, body, and soul mimics nature because I am nature myself. The struggles I go through are the same as theirs and yet they still have the chance to grow…and so do I.

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Ode to the Dryads
By Edmarie Aponte (Peqchy)

Place your feet on the earth, can you feel the heat?
follow the energy in the roots, can you feel the trees?
as the breeze sways us and the leaves Shake, can you feel the connection of a shared heartbeat? Now look up, what do you see?
The splintering light glistening through the green
a subtle reminder that growth is not free
but with the love and light of nature may you flourish
accepting the rain and death seeped in your roots as a way to nourish
is the only way to see we're all ends meet.
As I lay here surrounded by wisdom from before me
I question when I'll be able to climb to the top of their canopy
forgetting that my crown may hang lower but it's still from the high
and where time is a concept our souls coincide
Bark or skin
roots or veins
leaves or hair
all that is left will always remain
the essence of love in which all births came
where nothing is at fault and nothing is to blame

For National Poetry Month, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay asked Dennis Amadeus, who leads The GrowHouse Collective based in Ybor City, Florida, to help us reach unsung poets. We asked them to write about trees—any trees—and they responded.

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