The Heart Of The Tree
By Century
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants the friend of sun and sky;
He plants the flag of breezes free,
The shaft of beauty, towering high;
He plants a home to heaven anigh;
For song and mother croon of bird
In hushed and happy twilight heard—
The treble of heaven’s harmony—
These things he plants who plants a tree.
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants cool shade and tender rain.
And seed and bud of days to be,
And years that fade and flush again;
He plants the glory of the plain;
He plants the forest’s heritage—
The harveat of a coming age;
The joys that unborn eyes shall see—
These things he plants who plants a tree.
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants in sap and leaf and wood,
In love of home and loyalty
And far cast thought of civic good—
His blessing on the neighborhood
Who in the hollow of his hand
Holds all the growth of all our land—
A nation’s growth from sea to sea
Stir in his heart who plants a tree.
