by D. Christenson
A small tree was growing when another was born
apart from each other on the forest floor.
Separate in space, one day their roots met,
they touched, grew stronger, branches overlapped.
Decades went by, they grew proud and tall
merged roots nourished seedlings,
offspring no longer small.
Bark and branches grew thicker
as they stood side by side,
storms and triumphs together
they continued to thrive.
Fifty years went by when lightning struck,
The older, wiser tree ran out of luck.
The tree grew weaker, withered and died,
entangled roots lived on, helped others survive.
Time passed, one tree stands alone,
fallen trees sprout growth, a legacy thrives.
A tree in the forest lives, sings, and dies
as mankind does, in order to survive.
Image source: https://tinyurl.com/4fff877k