Because a Redwood Grove by Joe Cottonwood

Joe Cottonwood is a semi-retired contractor with a lifetime of small jobs repairing homes. He lives with his high school sweetheart under redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California, caring for curly-haired dogs and straight-haired grandchildren. Joe's latest book is Random Saints. Learn more about him at www.joecottonwood.com.

mszlyk:
How wonderful that Kew Gardens now has a redwood grove that will be truly cherished -- and that Joe wrote this wonderful poem that we all cherish!
Posted 06/18/2023 08:17 AM

Wilda Morris:
Magnificent!
Posted 11/30/2022 11:52 AM

cscoville:
How marvelous that the poem first appeared in Kew Gardens!
Posted 11/28/2022 11:19 AM

Jancan:
Great use of personification
Posted 11/28/2022 12:33 AM

T R Poulson:
Gorgeous tribute to a beautiful tree
Posted 11/27/2022 11:26 PM

Michael:
This is stunning, Joe. Truly a masterpiece.
Posted 11/27/2022 10:14 PM

CamilleBalla:
Ditto to Stephen. wordless here.
Posted 11/27/2022 12:19 PM

Lori Levy:
Every line is powerful in this beautiful poem.
Posted 11/27/2022 11:56 AM

Arlene Gay Levine:
An uplifting ode of admiration for one of Nature's many splendid creations.
Posted 11/27/2022 11:53 AM

peninsulapoet:
Always a pleasure to read a Joe Cottonwood poem--a window into a deeply kind and observant soul.
Posted 11/27/2022 11:51 AM

paradea:
Fantastic!!!
Posted 11/27/2022 10:53 AM

cork:
Speechless!
Posted 11/27/2022 10:15 AM

Darrell Arnold:
Joe has it right about Redwood cathedrals. Man-made cathedrals are magnificent, of course, but they don't stand up to the awesomeness of God's natural cathedrals -- Redwood groves, Sequoia groves, Carlsbad Caverns deep beneath the surface of the New Mexico earth, or Colorado's Medano Lake, set high, above timberline, in a cirque surrounded by towering peaks. When you are there, you know they are "the answer." What a poem!
Posted 11/27/2022 09:43 AM

RonPoems:
Great poem. I especially like the open ending. It reminds me of days, as a young traveling salesman, when I would go to the Jedediah Smith Park, near Crescent City, CA, to meditate and forgive lying customers.
Posted 11/27/2022 09:36 AM

Laura34108:
Fantastic poem! The next time I'm in London, I'll definitely visit Kew Gardens. Hopefully I'll get to visit the magnificent redwoods in CA again, too.
Posted 11/27/2022 08:40 AM

Wilda Morris:
What a magnificent poem!
Posted 11/27/2022 08:35 AM

Stephen Anderson:
Thanks for giving us this awesome special communion with the Redwoods in all their majesty. A beautiful poem, Joe!
Posted 11/27/2022 08:28 AM

Angela Hoffman:
Upon entering you lower your voice-right from the beginning I sense the sacred.
Posted 11/27/2022 08:09 AM

Sharon Waller Knutson:
I am not surprised that Joe Cottonwood was commissioned by Londons Kew Gardens commissioned Joe to write a poem honoring their amazing redwood forest because not only is Joe one of my favorite poets but he has a special relationship with nature. My favorite image is: a redwood with its power will never preach makes no demands sips from the clouds swallows the sunlight shelters the chipmunk, the owl, you because a redwood takes the long view.
Posted 11/27/2022 07:38 AM

ladyleo191:
This is the exact emotion I feel upon visiting Redwoods here in the U.S. but I was never able to express it. I am thankful the poet understands.
Posted 11/27/2022 06:55 AM

Nicholas:
"Because a redwood ...sips from clouds ..." Wow, great image in what is such a comforting poem. Let's plant a trillion trees today and save the planet.
Posted 11/27/2022 05:26 AM