Southern Live Oak

I have grown old and twisted with all my living; my limbs gnarled and arthritic, my skin rough, sometimes peeling, turning dark beneath the sun. Bunions and corns decorate my feet. What a life I have lived! In my youth, young natives sat on tender grasses at my feet; i sheltered them in coolness, i listened to their vows of love. Months later, they returned to me holding the joy of new life. I rocked their papoose in my arms, the wind sighing lullabies through my evergreen hair making the silver moss, hanging on my tresses, sway. I saw them leave before the growing strength of new settlers, weeping as they walked away from this beloved land. A wealthy man settled the grounds where I spread my roots; I grew and wrapped my arms around the home he built. I was young then, strong and full of vigor; I was the watchman at the door. I enjoyed many years with the family, playing with the children, giving shade and shelter. Early one morning, the sounds of war disturbed my sleep; all day the battle raged. Cannon balls ripped through my flesh; I heard the anguished screams. When the sun set, the ground beneath my feet was littered with the broken bodies of men, dead and dying, soldiers uniformed in both blue and gray. Our beautiful home was nearly destroyed, our land ravaged. If men could only learn, as I know, to respect and care for one another. As time passed, my limbs healed, through scarred, just as my heart is scarred. Generations have come and gone, each one passing close to my heart in fleeting succession, but I live on. Age shows on my body, yet I cling more tightly, stretching deep into the ground, sucking the earth's sweet nourishment. My arms droop low, hanging heavy with sad and happy memories. I do not want to leave this dear, fair earth, the tears of heaven fall, trickling down, bathing me in dewy sadness. A thousand years is not enough. Copyright, August 22, 2015 Faye Lanham Gibson