THE TREE

THE TREE

Stripped limbs and weathered trunk

Standing in defiance of time’s toll

Striking a majestic pose against the sky

And somehow reaching into my soul

Leafless it declares its current state

The scars revealing storms survived

Still refusing to yield and prostrate

What the wind, winter, and sun derived

Whispers in the breeze constantly declare

The unspoken language of dying bark

Bringing moisture to the eyes that stare

Seeing a message of hope in the dark

Living and breathing life to the very full

Squeezing it from joy as well as diversity

Wringing it all out with the push and pull

Making the most of every opportunity

Standing triumphantly in the fading sun

Pointing skyward with head held high

The symbol of a life lived well done

So that even in dying it does not die