When I was young, a'fore the storm I'd quivered.
And with the rains and winds, I oft had shivered.
Unsure of my way, roots probed hardened clay,
Of the very ground of who did lay The Way.
By Summer's end, I stood tall, strong, and sure,
Spreading limbs protecting innocent and pure.
'Gainst September winds for them I had braced,
Easing the storms for those I embraced.
As the leaves of my words by the sun are illumed,
And struggle is over, Life so much attuned.
My leaves dance with the wind, in golden-red glow,
Falling and feeding the young ones below.
Yet as radiant deeds keep them warm and fed,
It's also a time that most often dread.
For in short time I find I must sleep,
If I am to keep that Winter so deep.
While my Life lays barren in a cold snowy wood,
I know that beyond dark months lies a Good.
When Light and Warmth return, an awakening is made,
And I reunite with Loved Ones - providing sheltering shade.