A Rest Among the Roots

I wrote A Rest Among the Roots as a ceremonial reading for anyone who chooses to plant a tree in honor of someone they love.

There is something profoundly beautiful about returning a person’s ashes to the earth beneath a living tree. It is a moment of letting go, but also a moment of connection, a way of honoring a life that was lived while creating something that will continue to grow.

This poem was written to accompany that sacred ritual: as the ashes are placed into the earth, the tree is planted, and the soil is gently returned. It offers words for a tender moment when there may be few words that feel enough.

May the tree take root.

May love remain.

And may the life remembered become part of the life that continues.

xo

Gabby

A Rest Among the Roots

We return you now to the quiet earth,To this chosen place of peace and rebirth.We selected this ground with love and care,A sacred shelter for the memories we share.

Thank you, sweet soil, for your open embrace,Thank you for holding them in this quiet space.We offer these ashes with respect and deep love,To the roots down below and the canopy above.

May the earth hold you gently in its dark, fertile deep,May your spirit wake fresh while your elements sleep.May the sky look over you with sunlight and rain,And the wind whisper softly to ease every pain.

Let the trees stand as guardians, steady and strong,Let the wildlife surround you with comfort and song.Become now the leaf, the blossom, the bark,A living remembrance, a beautiful spark.

Written by Gabby Jimenez