04-16-2024, 01:08 AM
grandmother tree
It is not a lovely tree.
It stands alone along the creek
amid the many trunks
of trees that have fallen.
Most of its lower limbs
are dried and brittle.
A large gash near its midsection
suggests a lightning strike.
It does not tower majestically
yet bends from leaning
against storms and crippling winds.
Still, in its upper branches
it houses a nest of squirrels
and produces meager offerings
of acorns to sustain them.
How much longer
can it provide such grace?
As long as it takes.
It is not a lovely tree.
It stands alone along the creek
amid the many trunks
of trees that have fallen.
Most of its lower limbs
are dried and brittle.
A large gash near its midsection
suggests a lightning strike.
It does not tower majestically
yet bends from leaning
against storms and crippling winds.
Still, in its upper branches
it houses a nest of squirrels
and produces meager offerings
of acorns to sustain them.
How much longer
can it provide such grace?
As long as it takes.