The Mother Tree - Lisa Ihle

Lisa Ihle is a retired English teacher, lifelong writer, and proud resident of Clayton, California. Married to her college sweetheart for 40 years, she treasures her family, including four grown children and two beloved grandsons.

I am honoured to share a poem inspired by the quiet power and steady presence of Mount Diablo State Park here in Clayton, California. Though not towering by alpine standards, this 4,000-foot “mountain” holds deep significance for me—an anchor in both the landscape and my life.

Living adjacent to the park, I spend countless hours immersed in its open spaces, watching wildlife, capturing its beauty through photography, and allowing the rhythms of nature to shape my reflections. My writing—rooted in non-fiction poetry and prose—uses the natural world as both catalyst and companion, inviting moments of stillness, noticing, and meaning-making.

Since retiring, my work has increasingly explored themes of change, transition, and the search for place and direction. In this piece, the mountain becomes more than scenery; it becomes a mirror, a guide, and a quiet witness to my evolving life.

I invite you to settle in and let my words carry you into that landscape—both external and internal.

The Mother Tree 

Lisa Ihle

This is the Mother Tree; 

She stands tall and proud

In the middle of my path 

Ready to welcome me 

 

She spreads her arms wide 

And wraps me in the safety 

Of their strength and warmth 

She is every woman; 

Strong and graceful 

Proud and courageous 

She protects all creatures 

Through the wind and the rain 

And offers comfort 

To those that seek it in her midst 

I lean myself gently, 

Upon her wrinkled flesh 

And pray mightily… 

I ask for courage 

And guidance 

And strength

She offers a place to be heard, 

Here, among the hills 

It is a place of silence and solitude 

There is peace in knowing, 

That she is here 

Waiting for me upon the hill 

She has been here 

For so many others before me 

She has heard us, 

And our silent prayers 

As we stand in her presence, 

In the cool comfort 

Of her canopy 

She offers a place 

Of refuge and respite, 

From the storm

Of life… 

Just for a moment, I close my eyes 

And let her sound and scent fill me 

She whispers quiet words, 

Of hope upon my heart 

That only I can hear

I thank her softly, 

For her grace and protection 

As I gingerly step away 

From the cover of her love 

And back into, 

The world

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