Prose

Beautiful Tree

beautiful tree,
beautiful grandmother… 

beautiful branches,

beautiful arms,

reaching out, touching sky

reaching out, touching air

feeding air, feeding me.

beautiful tree, leaning

over me, my own
beautiful grandmother
for this night, at least
her long and lasting strength
so, so willingly shared.


beautiful tree, bending
over river, through time 
towards another shore

will surely fall soon, too
soon will topple at the knees 
pulling long embedded 
roots from this earth,

she will fall soon, 
beautiful grandmother
into this river.

                    to become a floating piece of wood

                    on a river that extends 

                    to the bottom of the world

                all rivers run to the bottom of this world

                all trees reach for the sky, and

                   all things go, as all things grow- in time-

                   in time there is salvation

                   in salvation there is love.

strong tree, very very

strong, this beautiful tree

has shadowed and kept as its own

this spot, these fishes, these snakes,

turtles, ibis, heron, thrush, and beaver
beautiful grandmother to all
with two by fours nailed
into her back, and ropes, cables,
tires, and children 
suspended from her waist.

beautiful tree, 
beautiful grandmother of all
if i were here, with you

sitting as i do each night

with you as my keeper,

and if you were to fall

graceful, immensely rich,

the music in all stars will sing
then, at that point in...

and if upon me, 
after pulling your feet 
out of your earth

beautiful tree, joining water
mixing air, touching sky, you fell-

   the honor, unspeakable-
   so thank you, beautiful tree
   for your peace, your shelter
   your animate persona, and
   your softly swaying 
   leaf knowledge.    
                
                            (pj reed 2012) 

(notes: photo's 1-3, self pj reed, red river, la.)



paoloreed@gmail.com