stubborn	
and a little rough to write on
as planted by the river 
you shall not be moved...	
bittersweet feelings toward trees
the leaves change colors...grow...die...
and blow away for no apparent reason
kind on reminds me 
of fair-weather friends that change like the seasons
and loved ones I will never see again
and thus forever grieving
blossoms when the cold warms
inspiring new beginnings
bittersweet feelings toward trees
appreciating you hiding my ancestors
in the slave days of the runaways
yet the vertical rope suspended 
final resting place for my revolutionary brothers
and others who didn’t perceive
desires for freedom to be a disease
bittersweet feelings toward trees
teaches an abrasive lesson
trees can grow as tall as skyscrapers
chopped down for cheap houses and for cheap labor
textbook paper to print lies in history book pages not caught
sanded over with asphalt
in which 18 wheelers, man made pathways
that two ton truckloads roll over every day...guess what?
the roots never go away
bittersweet feelings toward trees...
thank you for gracing me with your beauty
thank you for the shade, and the fresh air to breathe
to turn another page
and speaking to me on  pages of your carcass
thus giving me a chance to tell the truth