Tree Response

Nina, at her beautiful blog Ornamental, posted this photo yesterday, with the post itself entitled "Visual Emotion". Go look, read the question at the bottom of the photo, then come back (pretty please).

Below is my answer to the question, originally posted as a comment to Nina this morning -- a definite reflection of my mood today.

See the darkened trunk?
Shadowed --
tired, today,
from all the hanging on,
from weathering the storms
of growth & change, &
more than a little grumpy being
below, one step removed from
the cherished light.
Yet witness the
silver-gold tipped reach,
the delicate filigree above,
impossible without this-my-
sturdy planting, my
determined roots, my
steady hand of waiting,
beneath.