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Faith Ploof writes: “I am 20 years old and a sophomore at Endicott College, studying education with a concentration in educational studies. I am originally from a small town in Vermont and came to Beverly to further my education. I have always enjoyed school and the challenges it presents me with. My favorite subjects have always been reading and writing and that has only grown since I have learned to use my creative mind when writing. My goal after graduation is to teach in a kindergarten or first grade classroom. Outside of school I love all things outdoors, which inspired this poem, especially hiking and camping with my family. I am also on the Endicott Equestrian Team and have been riding horses almost my whole life. Writing poetry for my creative writing class was a bit outside of my comfort level at first but I have since learned to love the art and the places it can take me.

What The Trees See

Faith Ploof

Sometimes I wonder
what the trees have seen.
The ones that have stood longer and taller
than any of us.
Do you think they remember?
Remember the start of new life,
the end of old lives?
Times of war and when
two people fall in love.
Imagine the stories they could tell,
those of the bear cub frollicing
in the sunshine,
of the little bird learning to fly.
Do you think they know the truth?
Who else has seen it all, hundreds of years.
With each passing day
growing,
ring by ring.
They saw what happened that day,
all of it. As they look from above.
Whom else could we ask about life
that would be able to answer with more wisdom
than a tree.
The tall oak hears the squirrels and
the wolf.
Kuk-kuk.
Howl.
The pine breathes in the cold winter air.
She keeps watch while the animals sleep,
awaiting the warmth.
I wonder what the trees would say,
the stories they’d tell,
the memories they’d share.
A notebook, with every page filled.

— Faith Ploof

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