Our Tree - an observation

It is big – it could be old,

The rings telling the story of each year

but it isn't, at least as far as trees go. 

It is young, fresh, and new. 

It's trunk isn't brown,

not like a child's tree drawing,

it is gray

the only brown is in the shadows of the rough, deep, bark

It is only brown in the shadows. 

It contains tints of greenish-blue as well,

of moss,

they are growing together,

changing over time and season,

Two as One. 

The roots are above the ground in places

It isn’t right that they do that and the tree not fall over. 

The true roots, the stabilizing ones, are hiding under the earth.

The tree is strong, heavy,

it is the 3rd post for the tree house, it is a part of our daily life.

It would produce these horrible little pokey balls every fall,

Spreading its spawn throughout the yard.

it doesn't now. 

It is ugly,

Bald

because the 4 large limbs were cut down off its top. 

The leaves still come back -- determined –

out of stumps, up ten feet.

The tree, it is our helpful, tolerated, friend.