The Chi-Chi Tree

Your skeletal form
Silhouetted against the winter sky
Branches covered with frost
Your limbs chilled by the frigid air

It was not long ago
When summer shone on your fruit
And your leaves were nurtured by the sun
The sap ran strong, and coursed through each twig

But now your foliage lies scattered
In gutters and along fences
The lush green leaves
Are dead and brittle

Each one a memory
Each one a faded jewel
Each one you grew
And nurtured

A storm then came
Which tore off a limb
First it bent
Then it snapped
The sound of wood tearing
Unheard in the scream of the wind

Now the sap is congealed
On your amber wounds
But the jagged splinters still remain
As reminders you cannot forget

The limb is gone and the bark hangs loose
But you still remember the feel of the wind
Whistling through its twigs
The rustle of its leaves in a breeze

Dark clouds scurry across the darker sky
Winter chills right to the core
It numbs but not enough to ease the sorrow

But winter will pass and spring will come; it always does
Your branches will thaw and again bear fruit
New limbs will grow
And will provide comfort with their shade

Stronger and fuller you will grow
With each passing year
As you learn to take in stride
The seasons of life

[ by: Cass Chin  (Chinzilla@aol.com) -- submitted by: Cass Chin ]