REACHING  (1-29-97, revision, 1-29-97, Galveston Island, Texas)

 
this tree  
before me  
stretching up  
from the ground  
through cool  
afternoon shadows  
with its farthest  
bare branches  
fingering out  
up into  
a narrow band  
of golden light  
which sheers  
at a vertically  
diagonal angle  
from off  
the abrupt edge
of a motionless  
rooftops  
sudden overhang  
silently casting down  
upon the ground  
around me here  
a magically  
hypnotic dance  
of entrancing  
shadows and light  
in harmonious  
contrast with  
a brighter  
backdrop above  
of open blue  
sky beyond  
from which  
my eyes  
are drawn  
both up  
then back down  
its graceful  
arcing trunk  
bent  
in a  
long necked curve  
from some  
unseen  
yet long endured  
deeply ingrained  
invisible  
weight  
wherein i  
empathically come  
to kindredly sense    
feel  
and see  
myself  
mirrored  
in this tree  
whose boughs  
and limbs  
are twisted  
and scarred  
not so much  
unlike  
my own  
though similarly  
flawed  
and externally  
imperfect  
a deeper  
inner beauty  
of silent dignity  
can still  
be sensed  
felt and seen  
within  
its challenged  
dancing form  
which  
in some  
more subtle  
way  
still yet remains  
and persists  
at least  
to some degree  
here  
in mine  
as well  
for despite  
the fact  
that both  
of us  
have been forced  
by either  
fate
or circumstances  
beyond  
our own control  
to struggle  
live  
and grow  
up through  
so much  
devastating  
life depleting  
cold concrete  
entrapment  
in off  
and on  
up and down  
life depleted  
survival mode  
at best  
for so very  
very long  
i feel ive  
earned the right  
to at least  
optimistically  
and positively  
believe  
that weve  
both somehow
against  
all odds  
found  
and claimed  
within  
our physical being
another form
of deeply  
ingrained
naturally sustained  
cellular
inner courage  
innately common
to most  
all life
yet for some
strange reason
most often
only forgotten
by much of
mankind itself
as vital  
to living
as food
and water
as crucial
to survival
as pranic breath  
the essential need
to keep on  
reaching  
ever upwards  
for more  
and more
radiantly vital  
transcendent  
healing  
light