She Oak

Majestic and splendidly she stands

As a testament to earth and time

Her artistic limbs forever reaching to the beyond

Channeling sun

and sky

And eternity

She absorbs light and moisture, seasons and extremities

And rises on

Sprouting offshoots and lush green leaves

In times of prosperity

In times of peril, she has learnt to wait patiently

Knowing the sweet rains will surely come

Rejoicing as she feels those first pure drops fall upon her soft oustretched trinity of palms

They spring back with the shock and exaltation

Of the storm circling above

She has known of the hiss of searing fire all around her

Mocking and vile

Its tongue of lashing hatred

Its hiss roaring "Just give in to me, Oh ancient one"

Allow yourself to simply be engulfed by my unrelenting rage

Like all the others have"

But succumb

She would not

And in time she grew on

Bolder and more powerful than even before

Her scars actually making her countenance more beautiful and radiant

If that were even possible

She knows of her regal standing in creations hierarchy

For of her kind,

All life relies

The oxygen she breathes out touches all living beings

And sustains them

It has been her noble appointment since the earth began

At night she waits patiently

Dreaming of her Prince

The North wind

As she sways beneath the stars

And delights in the excitement as she senses his approach

Sending rumbles throughout the entire valley

As he races towards her

She feels his strength force her back

And in an instant, he is upon her

Sweeping her up in his embrace

Together they now dance throughout the night

He lifts her effortlessly

Each rise and fall, more exquisite than the last

Like a place somewhere between wake and sleep

She is never sure if it really occurred

In the morn he is gone

She never knows to where he travels on

Yet she knows he will always return to her

Her cherished friends are all around

Comforting her

Caressing her beneath the soil when they sense she is saddened

And beneath the soil, they entwine and share their sustenance

The earth she lives within is truly alive

And she has come to know of its ways and rumblings

The sensation of scurrying feet running up her spine,

Like a good ol' back scratch, hitting the itch

Both tickles and delights her

And she sings out and screams her deepest soul

When thunderstorms rage throughout her valley

Venting her passions into the frantic night

Hidden and silenced by the thunder

And always his words

Are on her lips

And his presence, all encompassing

"The dance is never done, my angel"

"The dance is never done"