I was reminded of this little gem this morning and I thought it worth repeating, as it cheered me up thinking about when the reserve re-opens. I dedicate it to all the hard-working staff on the reserves and the fabulous Walnut Tree in the over-flow car park. Over the years it has been home to Jackdaws, Squirrels and Tawny Owls.
Trees
Alfred Joyce Kilmer 1886-1918
I think that I will 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.
It is worth noting that he was killed by a snipers bullet in France in the dying months of the Great War.
The North Kent Marshes are a very special area and worth preserving at all cost.