I enjoy Shel Silverstein and found his poetry after I listened to the songs he wrote for the likes of Johnny Cash and Dr. Hook. He had a wit that made me wonder and still does. I wonder what it means to be big? What does it mean to be small?
THE OAK AND THE ROSE
by Shel Silverstein
An oak tree and a rosebush grew,
Young and green together,
Talking the talk of growing things —
Wind and water and weather.
And while the rosebush sweetly bloomed
The oak tree grew so high
That now it spoke of newer things —
Eagles, mountain peaks and sky.
“I guess you think you’re pretty great,”
The rose was heard to cry,
Screaming as loud as it possibly could
To the treetop in the sky.
“And now you have no time for flower talk,
Now that you’ve grown so tall.”
“It’s not so much that I’ve grown,” said the tree,
“It’s just that you’ve stayed so small.”
Painting: “Two Gibbons in an Oak Tree” by Yi Yuanji (1000-1064)






Love anything by Shel Silverstein. I have a wonderful record… from about 45 years ago, in which he sings the blues… fantastic. called Hairy Jazz.
I think I will have to look that one up. His wit was amazing.
His words live on–a truly inspiring being.
Yes, he certainly was and his words continue to resonate across time.