Blue speckled shells split on luscious lea
Under a robust oak spreading stands,
Against the bark, a dog cocks leg to pee.
The carefree child climbs the tree
Squirreling acorns in eager hands
Carving his name with merry glee.
The starry-eyed girl muses the tree
Caressing its bare wood, ringed bands,
Smiling she recalls his bended knee.
The proud patriarch respects the tree
Stealing strength and fuel across lands
Sailing ships across the eternal sea.
The snow-haired woman recalls the tree
Wizened in time's relentless sands
Fleetingly cradled in limbs, faded suns flee.
Painted jays, simply food and shelter see,
A fool's parallax, revealing many life-spans.
Yellow lichen kissed branches free,
And leafy-lobes breathe - who owns the tree?
Suzanne Fairless-Aitken
