Alfred Joyce Kilmer, better known as Joyce Kilmer, lived from 1886 to 1918. He wrote the poem “Trees” in 1913, at age 27. One of the greatest poets of his time, he died at the Second Battle of the Marne, in WWI, deployed with a New York National Guard unit. He was taken down by a sniper at age 31.
As trees across the northern tier of America bud and leaf, there is something timeless about Kilmer. More than once, his poem “Trees” has shown up in my reading, either as part of a larger anthology or just because I stumbled once again on it, as I often do with poems by Robert Frost. It is notable.
The young man – destined never to grow old – was described by others as humble, faithful (Catholic), and “gallant,” volunteering when America joined the war for the most dangerous missions. The one he was killed on was led by the future head of the OSS, “Wild Bill Donovan.”
So, as we think on conflict and peace, which Mankind seems destined to do until we are given eternal peace, his words – in context – are both thought-provoking and comforting. Here is Joyce Kilmer’s poem, “Trees.”
“I think that I shall never see
A Poem lovely as a tree.
Tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
Tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
Tree that in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree. “
So, as leaves reach outward from each tree, think how precious it is to be, how much a miracle these simple trees are, worth celebrating as God’s work, God’s joy. And recall Kilmer, just a boy.
Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, Maine attorney, ten-year naval intelligence officer (USNR), and 25-year businessman. He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (North Country Press, 2018), and “Cherish America: Stories of Courage, Character, and Kindness” (Tower Publishing, 2024). He is the National Spokesman for AMAC. Today, he is running to be Maine’s next Governor (please visit BobbyforMaine.com to learn more)!
