Tree of Life
Tree of Life
From the fertile ground, its form took shape
As the sun began to climb the forest sky
Sunshine drew a crown of leaves upon its limbs
And the blossoms filled the forest
with the deep scent of aspirations
Over the years the Aspen
rapidly
cycled
through
the seasons
Bearing fruit which fell upon the forest floor
To nourish its roots for the next year’s growth
The strength of its boughs bent over the years
As curves and cracks began to etch character upon its bark
The timeless toils of the seasons took its toll upon its fruit
Lessening the pungent perfume as its leaves became
sparse
and
yellowed
Then from the less than perfect, the aging limbs
The long-sought aspiration began to
blossom
As from the roots of spirit and branches of experience
A delicate shell of rebirth began to
emerge
Its bark was soft and pale
a shadowy reflection of the Aspen’s strength
Its leaves were scrawny and stringy
barely recognizable to the glory of the elder Aspen’s crown of leaves
But through its veins ran the sap,
True
and
pure
ageless knowing, rooted and grounded in the earth’s deep essence
The aspiration running golden and pure from toe to finger to eyes
This
frail
waif
Defenseless, soft, and unfinished
Held within it the strength and wisdom of all the Aspen’s years
Within its heart
the gift of life
Within its soul
the dreams of eternity
Within its veins
the aspirations of the gods
Copyright © Alison Hodges | Year Posted 2020
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