The Tree House - ©2004 by Lane Baldwin

The Tree House

The sign by the door says "Shhhh! Listen…"

I'm up here with three very good friends:
A little squirrel who eats nuts out of my hand,
A bird that chirps happily and snaps at any bugs that come in
Except for the lady bug that's on my shoulder.
She knows the lady helps her keep the bad bugs away.

We sit up here a lot. It's very quiet.
You can hear the leaves whispering secret messages.
Sometimes, the wind has something special to tell me.
I close my eyes and turn off my ears.
Listen with my heart.

The squirrel tickles my palm as he grabs for another pecan.
Sits and nibbles daintily.
Smiles at me in thanks.
The bird chirps...singing me her special song
As the ladybug lounges regally on my shoulder.

It's later in the evening now.
The sun is yawning as it slowly crawls behind the hills
Almost time to sleep.
Before he goes, he lights the few clouds in the sky for me.
So beautiful: Yellow - orange - a bit of red over there.
See it?

I can hear two little children down the street as they laugh and giggle.
TAG! You're it!
There's a lawn mower running a few blocks over.
Mr. Jones is trying to finish his yard before it gets dark.
He sure loves taking care of his yard.

It's warm this evening. Not hot, just warm,
With a gentle breeze sighing through the trees.
I think I'll sleep up here tonight.
Maybe watch the stars for a while before I nod off.
Orion will come up just between those two branches right there.
Just a few more minutes and he'll begin his nightly trek across the sky.
I really appreciate that he watches over me at night.

It's always so peaceful up here.
I can just sit and listen to my brothers and sisters:
Sacred children standing.
Yes, I think I'll sleep up here tonight.
There's room for two if you'd like to join me.

Shhhhh! Listen…