The World's Greatest Beauty

Branches that reach out to me like arms,
Leaves that tickle my face like kisses 
So sturdy and tall
How can I compare at all?
Your immense beauty blows me away 
I could stare at you all day.
The way the light flutters through your limbs,
The way your shade pools on the ground. 
Your roots dig deep and your branches reach high.
Being a tree seems like a dream
The way the rain drops gleam
         on your smallest leaves. 
Your rings, they tell a story
Your marks, they tell a story
Your missing branches, they tell a story.
Everything about you is like a book,
So how can people pass by without a look?
Some call me a hippy, 
For I stand here when it's nippy.
But they would do the same if only they took a moment
To linger
To appreciate
To know and 
To love
You, your branches, your leaves, your beauty, and your light.
Some say to stop and smell the roses, 
I say
Stop and hug the trees.