Spines Like Trees: the Meaning of Up

I'm beginning to learn that sometimes The strongest things in life are quiet... My boyfriend is both- He has a spine like an oak tree; He knows how to sway with the wind, Yet never lets himself be bent nor broken- He always knows which way is up. I, on the other hand, have a spine That tends to bend- more like a Young sapling under pressure than anything Else; sometimes I just Don't know which way is up- When the hurricane gales come, Relentless as the Jews marching To make fall the walls of Jericho;- When the rain pounds like feet;- When the full weight of the wind Presses down on my back like It's curious to see how much Pressure it'll take before My vertebre disalign and I Splinter apart in a shriek of Cracking wood like the wall that Finally came down... I don't know how to figure out Which direction is up anymore... Sometimes, I am nothing more Than a seedling still learning How to find sunlight, or At least something that shines Bright enough to feel like hope- My spine is nothing more than A thin tendril of green trying To learn what upright means... On these days, my boyfriend is the Pillar that shields me from the wind; He doesn't ask what happened, Just holds me close- His hands are scarred like branches That have seen too many storms, But they are gentle enough To feel like home; warm enough To feel like sun-warmed earth, So in his hands I am comfortable Enough to be a seedling still Learning which direction is up... He teaches me that if I reach for God, I will always know how to grow straight... I'll know which way to reach because It'll feel like reaching for warmth.