After again reading Wallace Stevens’ famous poem, “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird,” I decided to imagine new ways of looking at other things in the natural world.

I considered looking at sights in our backyard and decided to focus on our huge water oak to jump-start my imagination.

Using Stevens’ poem as an idea, I shifted to prose to fit my purposes.

Following are 10 ways of looking at our water oak.

• A boardinghouse: There is no way to know how many creatures live in our tree with no contract, no rent, no utilities. They have free room and board in nests, hollows, nooks and crannies where they feel safe to live and take care of their young. The tree provides space for birds, squirrels, raccoons, insects, worms, microscopic animals and cats. Our mother cat recently moved her two kittens to a hollow about 20 feet up where the tree forks into two sections. She climbed back and forth to take care of her young and moved them to a lower place after about a week. What versatile housing the tree provides.

• An anchor: The oak stabilizes the ground around it, keeping it solid decade after decade. Its root system spreads and anchors for many yards around its base.

• A shelter: When its leaves are at their fullest, the tree provides shelter from rain and sun to a large area of the yard. We believe it does its part to lower the temperature inside the house in summer, cutting down on energy for air conditioning.

• A nourisher: Our tree provides nutrients for microscopic animals, leaves for caterpillars, acorns for squirrels and bark for other animals. Its fallen leaves enrich the soil generously and faithfully.  It is a deluxe grocery store and water reservoir for its guests.

• A storyteller:  Even without speaking or writing skills, our tree can tell tales about changing seasons, storms and lost limbs due to natural pruning and chainsaws. It has stored up accounts of children’s play and yard parties, and it has been a witness to numerous conversations, some of them private.

• An intelligent being: It knows how to shift with the seasons and produce numerous products; it can make its own decisions, and some people believe it can feel and grieve in ways that humans cannot explain.

• A plaything of the wind: Its branches and leaves move around in a sort of tree dance, a show for anyone who will watch, even when the play gets rough.

• A huggable friend: Our oak is a steady friend in a day when tree-hugging is trendy.

• A pollution reducer: Our tree helps remove pollutants from the air and provides oxygen to sustain life.

• An adviser:  Ilan Shamir shares the following advice from trees, including our friend, the water oak: “Stand tall and proud. Go out on a limb. Remember your roots. Drink plenty of water. Be content with your own beauty. Enjoy the view.”

There are more than 13 ways of looking at Stevens’ blackbird and more than 10 ways of looking at our water oak. So it is with all things and all people. There is more to everything than we can imagine.

Sanda Baucom Hight is retired from Wilson County Schools after serving as an English teacher and is currently a substitute teacher in Wilson County.