By Harold Vance
On a Tree
Be rooted.
Be NOT a man of wavering morals,
But be firmly planted in the Will of God.
Get dirty,
In order to suck up nutrients and grow.
Rise up for justice,
Suck the injustice from the air all around you
And turn it into something life-sustaining;
Breathable.
Branch out toward the sun.
Enjoy the rain.
Be beautiful.
Sacrifice yourself
To be someone else’s shade.
Let people lean on you if they need to.
Sacrifice parts of yourself
To keep people warm;
To keep their fires burning,
Or to be kindling to start a fire in someone,
Even if they hate you.
Remember,
You were once a seed,
You were once a nut,
And God planted you,
He dirtied His hands for your sake,
And engraved your name on His palms.
Harold lives in the midst of the beautiful mountains and streams in New England, and works as a program guide in an alternative high school in Vermont. He received his Bachelor’s of Arts in English from Green Mountain College, in Poultney, VT. Harold is very excited and looking forward to his upcoming marriage this summer to Nicole Stoodley.