I notice the absence of willow
Perhaps her weeping is not welcome here
She can’t be found bent over stream or lake
Listening intently to water’s heartache

Water whispers sorrowful secrets
She is an attentive listener
Mourning, she sheds long green tears
Her empathetic ear is revered

Whom here bears witness
To all of nature’s sadness
With Willow gone
who holds this sacred space?

Is it Pine, Ash or Hawthorn,
Aspen, Oak or Rowan?
Who is the great listener,
at this often visited lake?
To which of those trees present
can we take all of life’s mistakes?