Cirilo Bautista's "Pedagogic"

This is one of my favorite poems:

Pedagogic
by Cirilo F. Bautista

I walked towards the falling woods

to teach the trees all that I could

of time and birth, the language of men,

the virtues of hate and loving.

They stood with their fingers flaming,

Listened to me with a serious mien:

I knew the footnotes, all the text,

my words were precise and correct—

I was sure that they were learning—

till one tree spoke, speaking in dolor,
to ask why I never changed color.

https://literaturapoetry.wordpress.com/2014/03/18/pedagogic/

Mien - a person's look or manner, especially one of a particular kind indicating their character or mood.