This Forest Tells Stories

The air is damp with a hint of petrichor
And dew drops decorate the floor.
I rest my heavy head against the rough,
Delicate evergreen
And weep
Because this forest tells stories.

It tells stories of a young fawn
Growing to be an elegant deer.
It narrates the story of the great old redwood
That became the shelter
For the swift woodpecker.
Yes, this forest tells stories.

This forest recites the story of when
The strange assaulting figures
Came and destroyed this sanctuary that tells stories
And because this forest tells stories
Why are we breaking this harmony
Of trees and plants and animals and air?
It’s like you don’t even care that
This forest tells stories.