New Heights

You can not move but wind will carry your leaves far from where you are rooted
And you will see though them those who have climbed past the corners of the earth.
Your fleeting life will scatter new ones further than you could stretch your branches
And young men will outgrow those that came before and shade the survivors of storms.
I listen to old men and their groaning stories of swaying, and lies of standing tallest
But now men will prune those that threaten to block the sunshine from green lawns
And in summer will curse you because you can’t shade their eyes that look up to you.
Animals hide their secrets behind your scars that used to hold hammocks.
Men who rise above the rest will soon realize no one protects them from the rain
And when they fall, they destroy the lives and bodies of everyone around them.
Most men desire to be tall, raising their arms and soaking up the sunlight
But those men will never see the children who will enjoy your life only for a short time.
Eventually a year will come when your bare arms can no longer entertain spring
And your shadows will scatter between the rays of life and light will permeate through.
I know there is joy in the planks nailed to my hands and ropes that swing from my arms
So I dip my branches low so children can climb to heights their parents never could.