Two Oaks

Generations have seen you rise.
Expose hellos and good-byes
in the same breath
with a ruffling response.
You watch over those
who no longer see
but will always be,
as strong as the boughs
spread wide
to shelter them.

Your roots planted firm
inside the ground
in which they sleep.
In time,
their spirits seep
as blood into your veins.
Thick and rich with stories
spoken through every leaf, bloom,
or shifting wind.

Everyone here knows you.
Young and old.
Rich and poor.
You welcome them all
with the same conviction.
One to another.
Mother, father, sister, brother,
come through this granite gate
to be placed within
your solemn embrace;

Until you too,
gradually surrender to seasons
And everything is returned
to the point,
where it all began.