Maybe Joyce Kilmer was right. I don’t know. My knowledge of poetry is almost nonexistent but I suppose it’s possible that none of us will ever see “a poem lovely as a tree.” Although it was never a plan of mine to photograph a lot of trees, it turns out that I have photographed quite a few over the years. Sometimes the craggy branches on old prairie-grown oaks grab my attention. Sometimes the shadows cast by trees throw intriguing patterns across the ground. Sometimes an elegant pine tree will soar into the sky making it impossible to miss. Sometimes a coating of snow or ice prevents you from passing by without an admiring look and a photo or two. Joyce Kilmer has been gone for almost a century, so I can’t ask his opinion. If he were alive, here are some pictures I would show him to see if they would beat his poem.