Stately and serenely,
Her branches clothed in green
Her gnarled old trunk scarred with age,
She stands in summer’s sun and dreams.

Many a storm she’s weathered through,
In her ageless past.
Through wind and rain and drought she’s grown
Her vital roots holding fast.

Children swung amidst her arms,
Chipmunks scurry through her leaves.
I’ve often stood and smiled at her,
As she danced with the breeze.

She is so free and lovely there
Her soul cannot be touched.
Alone she’s stood through all the years,
I’ve come to love her much.

For through her sweet serenity,
I’ve learned to grow with life
Taking that which comes to me,
As part of earthly strife.

For she is rooted just as I
Yet she stands there free.
Accepting all that comes to her,
With grace and dignity.

Lynne Phipps
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada