The Oak

The Oak

-by Michael Collins

A tree’s leaves in the fall
are some orange, some red
and for a small bird
they make quite a bed

The branches of trees
are some curved; some straight
and some even form
a small figure eight

The trunk of the tree
is the base of itself
quite like in a library,
a rusty old shelf

The roots of the tree
go deep, deep down
like a buried treasure
never to be found

Trees need sunshine,
water, and dirt
without these things
they could get hurt

Trees can do things
that I wish I could
If you’re looking for one
I’d check in the woods!

点评：由小到大，由表入里，叶后写枝，枝后写干，干下有根，第五小节升华，写树离不开阳光水分和土壤。如果你听到 dirt ，也一下子心里起疑：为什么 抛开更常用更合适的 soil， earth， 而用了dirt ？听到 hurt，你就恍然大悟了。为了押韵呀！

第六小节把自己跟大树“攀比”上了，树所能，人不能。这么可爱的跨界攀比，可以有！

这首诗用词浅白，dirt， hurt 就是明证。清新可爱，无陈腐气。写作结构也很值得学习哦。