As I sit here in front of you,
I am in awe.
I envy your uniqueness and
Your strength to be different.
Your thick trunk holds you up
And roots you to the ground.
I see the remnants of your traumas:
Cut, infiltrated, branded, punctured
But yet you continue to grow.
Your branches become thinner
As they move away from your body,
By hold the leaves without which
You couldn't survive.
This, your physically weakest part
Makes you vulnerable,
Yet you reach out, steadfast,
Inviting any and everyone in
Because without you we cannot survive.
We must depend on each other
For that which we need.
So here I sit,
Gazing up at your interlacing arms.
Absorbing the wisdom you bring and
Hoping that I can do for you and others
All that you already do for me.