The Giving Tree

One of my favorite poems of all time is Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree." Besides that fact that I loved Silverstein when I was growing up, and that I think he does an amazing job teaching kids about rhythm and movement of words, I think it is a timeless piece.
For some reason it's just something so childlike and simple that it really fills me with a lot of emotion. I think it is beautiful.
The poem addresses so many themes that people face throughout their lifetime, and this is why I think it is so relevant to our society today and in the future. It addresses the ideas of growing old, greed, sacrifice, friendship, and love. Although Silverstein made this story for children, I think adults can take just as much, if not more from it. We have all faced loss and pain as the tree does, and we have all been the boy too. Because it is stated in such simple words, the poem is not pretentious or self promoting. It is something anyone can understand, open to the world, and thus a perfect piece of art.
Here are the last pages of the poem:

And after a very long time
the boy came back again.
"I am sorry, Boy,"
said the tree," but I have nothing
left to give you -
My apples are gone."
"My teeth are too weakf
or apples," said the boy.
"My branches are gone,"said the tree. " You
cannot swing on them - "
"I am too old to swing
on branches," said the boy.
"My trunk is gone, " said the tree.
"You cannot climb - "
"I am too tired to climb" said the boy.
"I am sorry," sighed the tree.
"I wish that I could give you something....
but I have nothing left.
I am just an old stump.
I am sorry...."
"I don't need very much now," said the boy.
"just a quiet place to sit and rest.
I am very tired."
"Well," said the tree, straightening
herself up as much as she could,
"Well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting
Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest."
And the boy did.
And the tree was happy.