The Oak Tree - Limited edition risograph
This is the first printed edition of The Oak Tree and has been specially produced in risograph by commonbooks.org
limited edition of 100
All profits from the sale of this special edition will do to the Foundling Museum and all books purchased will be sent out at the end of July 2021
Dedicated to those who wish to find peace
I wrote this poem last year, when an oak tree in my parents’ garden had come to the end of its life and was ready to be felled. It wasn’t an old tree, maybe 30 years or so, yet I had shared much of my time on this planet with that single solitary fellow.
I have been incredibly lucky in my life. I have travelled, wished, dreamt, cried, lost, hoped and been dismayed. Yet in all that time the tree sat in the corner of the garden rooted to its place, watching the world go by and simply, being a tree.
I cannot pretend that this particular tree was unique to me; I did not spend my days nurturing the soil around its roots, shading in its bower or making sure it had water in times of drought. Yet in these unusual times, when the world is changed and we may feel uncertain of the future, I wonder if we may look to the nature of such a tree and learn from its stillness.
I believe in stillness, and that through stillness comes peace.
I believe in gratitude, and that through gratitude comes love.
For in a time when we may feel separated from who we are, may we also remember that in every acorn there is an oak tree, quietly waiting. So please send the story to those who you feel would enjoy it, as this is a time of giving what we can, to make the experience of others just that little bit easier.