Lyrics: Henry David Thoreau
Music: David Kirkland Garner
My heart leaps into my mouth at the sound of the wind in the woods....
Slate-colored snowbirds flit before me in the path, feeding on the seeds on the snow.
I love and could embrace the shrub oak rising above the snow, lowly whispering to me,
akin to winter thoughts, and sunsets, and to all virtue.
Covert which the hare and the partridge seek, and I too seek.
What cousin of mine is the shrub oak? How can any man suffer long?
For a sense of want is a prayer, and all prayers are answered.
Rigid as iron, clean as the atmosphere, hardy as virtue, innocent and sweet as a maiden is the shrub oak. In proportion as
I know and love it, I am natural and sound as a partridge.
I felt a positive yearning toward one bush this afternoon.
There was a match found for me at last. I fell in love with a shrub oak.