"What do we plant when we plant a tree? A thousand things that we daily see, We plant the spire that out-towers the crag, We plant the staff for our country's flag; We plant the shade from the hot sun free, We plant all these when we plant the tree."

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Source: Henry Abbey, “What Do We Plant?”

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Henry Abbey

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Henry Abbey was an American writer and philosopher known for his profound insights on freedom, truth, and the human experience.

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"All governments, Books, customs, buildings, railways, ships, and all the stark realities that men have made, Are but imagination's utterances."

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"What do we plant when we plant the tree? We plant the ship that will cross the sea, we plant the mast to carry the sails, we plant the planks to withstand the gales--the keel, the keelson, and beam and knee--we plant the ship when we plant the tree."

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"The artist labors while he may, But finds at best too brief the day; And, tho' his works outlast the time And nation that they make sublime, He feels and sees that Nature knows Nothing of time in what she does, But has a leisure infinite Wherein to do her work aright."

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