The poison trees is a metaphor for what becomes of life when we're no longer ignorant or naive about it. In other words, we've built up a lifetime worth of cynicism. We've been "poisoned" by our experiences and are no longer innocent, capricious.
He's asking if it's still worth trying to fulfill your dreams even though in your world you may now realize that you can't keep living on them. That they don't all come true. That we sometimes run out of time to be something we wanted to be.
When he says to dress your wounds, test your strength, etc. he's basically suggesting to put yourself out there. Go out on a limb of that tree, so to speak.
"As we lie in the shade of poison trees
Are we as safe as we like ourselves believe?"
Sometimes the safe approach isn't necessarily the right ones for our lives. Without the risk, there's no reward. Is that the type of safety night you want to spend the rest of your life in? Misery?
The poison trees is a metaphor for what becomes of life when we're no longer ignorant or naive about it. In other words, we've built up a lifetime worth of cynicism. We've been "poisoned" by our experiences and are no longer innocent, capricious.
He's asking if it's still worth trying to fulfill your dreams even though in your world you may now realize that you can't keep living on them. That they don't all come true. That we sometimes run out of time to be something we wanted to be.
When he says to dress your wounds, test your strength, etc. he's basically suggesting to put yourself out there. Go out on a limb of that tree, so to speak.
"As we lie in the shade of poison trees Are we as safe as we like ourselves believe?"
Sometimes the safe approach isn't necessarily the right ones for our lives. Without the risk, there's no reward. Is that the type of safety night you want to spend the rest of your life in? Misery?