Kia ora. Welcome to Living Tree Poetry, and the writings of poet Ana Lisa de Jong.
Ana Lisa resides in the beautiful islands of Aotearoa in the South Pacific. She is author of the ‘Poetry for the Soul’ series (which include ‘Songs in the Night’, ‘Hope Springs’ and ‘Seeking the Light’), along with ‘Heart Psalms’ and ‘Gifted’, her two largest books of poetry at over 200 pages each.
And more recently her four books in the ‘Poetry for all Seasons’ series, provide a poem a day for each season of the calendar year. See her Books page for more details.
Ana Lisa prefers the writing of poetry rather than the promotion of it, and sharing her words with others on-line as she writes and engaging with readers is one of her greatest blessings.
While you are here pull up a chair and take some time to be refreshed and restored, from words that take their inspiration from an eternal source.
You will find here most of Ana Lisa’s writing – available at any time to dip into as a refreshing stream.
If you decide you want to dip further you can visit the website of Godspace where several free PDF poetry collections are available for download.
Nga manaakitanga
“My Life is a tree, yoke fellow of the earth; pledged by roots too deep for remembrance. To stand hard against the storm. To fill my place. (But high in the branches of my green tree there is a wild bird singing: wing-free are the wings of my bird: she hath built no mortal nest.)”
~ Karle Wilson Baker
“On the holy boughs of the Celestial Tree
High up in the heavenly fields,
Beyond terrestrial desire
My soul-bird a warm nest has built.”
~ Hafiz
HOW TO FOLLOW A POEM
Watch how the sun rises.
First the tip of the clouds turn pink, and then gold
on a horizon.
Something happens to our hearts,
the leap of expectation.
The birds seem to know to fly
at this time.
Each soaring figure outlined
against the sky,
as black ink etched in the vision.
Watch how the branches
of each tree move to the wind’s tune.
How the face of the leaves
catch the hues of a rising sun.
How all of nature appears to bid dawn welcome.
Watch how the rainbow just came and went
before there was a chance to register it.
Before we could trace its colours
against the blue,
how it faded and then exited.
A poem is followed
with the same pattern of observation.
We don’t consider the words in an
individual sense as
respond to the scene as a whole.
Something happens
when we stop trying to understand,
but just watch.
The great artist has a brush, and is
painting impressions on our hearts and minds.
We see them with eyes
that feel rather than perceive.
Shapes felt in the hands
as objects in the dark.
Every now and then a shock of recognition.
But mostly just a welcome,
and an indwelling presence.
Ana Lisa de Jong
Living Tree Poetry
Cover Photo: Te Mata Peak, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Living Tree Poetry 