What mysteries you must know the answers to.
I wanted to stay with you longer, but
the sun was high and the day so warm,
that I aspired to leave the trail and sit within
the ravel of your branches. It would have been so lovely,
to commune within the heart of you – yet
my respect for the delicate ground supporting you,
kept my feet moving forward along the trail.
Then I thought about desert wildlife
taking shelter inside your woven branches,
perhaps keeping safe from rain or snow or from
some predator looking for a late-night snack.
Either way I know you have been a blessing to so many.
And so, I stood quietly for that moment on the trail,
and imagined curling up to sleep inside your tangled nest,
safe from a world that wishes to undo me.
4/11/24
Karen McCaskey 