Becoming a Tree

Becoming A Tree By Chris Casello You’re taken for granted. Appreciated by few. They can handle your shade and will lean on you too. How many of them actually truly understand how hard it has been for you to connect to the land. You were neglected from the time you were merely a seed. The bottom of the food chain on which all others feed. You were neglected by your parents but survived on your own. You actually never met them and Mother Nature provided no home. As you grow older your exterior becomes firm. With each year another ring but no accolades earned. You humbly stay quiet as you steadily grow. You weather each storm as you sway to and fro. You turn red after the heat rears its ugly head. You shed all your glory and appear to be dead. You sometimes lose limbs but don’t shed a tear. You show us your bare bones at least once a year. You’re not afraid to admit you might need a break. You need some time off, so time off you shall take. From the dirt you are nurtured and focus on your core. You come back in the Spring bigger and better than before. But now your children are taken away. By the birds, by the wind, by others that prey. So you now understand certain things from your past. You evaluate your thoughts and forgive at last. For hundreds of years you live and you thrive. Now your breaks are welcomed not necessary to survive. Through all of these cycles no matter the lands. If your roots stay grounded, the mighty tree stands.