The Evergreen by Clarissa Watson
How small am I
When compared to the majestic night sky
Stars flickering wondrously like fireflies
How little I seem
When I stand under the thriving evergreen
Its mighty branches swaying gracefully in the winter breeze
How little my worries matter
As I inhale the crisp air, my anxieties scatter
Like baby foal chasing their mothers, away they patter
Oh how much we have to appreciate
If only we take a moment to release all the hate
We let pile high like the heaps of snow
That the evergreen’s branches greedily take
Step back and see all that we take for granted
If only we lay aside the blindfolds that hate has planted
Over our hearts. It never gave me hope, just demanded
All of my attention, then left me stranded.
In my poem The Evergreen, hate itself feels like an ANT (Automatic Negative Thought)—a persistent, consuming thought that blinds and burdens. Yet, by releasing this hate, the subject uncovers a clearer perspective, one where appreciation and gratitude can replace the heaviness of negativity. The poem suggests that taming ANTs means thinking intentionally and releasing the negativity that hate plants over our hearts, freeing us to see beauty and find peace.
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