Storms Rage

Strong winds blowing from the south

Bearing cool air through bare branches

Leaves long gone as trees adapt

Letting go, gathering life force within

Are they concerned with how they look?

Brown and barren, wrinkled skin and bones

Still strong they withstand the onslaught

Veins full, pumping nourishment into the core

Waiting the season out as cycles play on

When the rains begin they will triumph

Green shoots will once again adorn

Life once again surge into leaves and flowers

Ah, beautiful! We will say

Yet what of the brown maze of branches

Still flexible and connected to the roots?

Our judgments flawed by appearances

Condemn what we don’t understand

Blind to what we cannot see

Is this not true today in our divided world?

Where has freedom gone, what does it mean?

All sides move about as robots following leaders

Does the mighty oak condemn the supple pine?

Or is it jealous of the pine’s green needles in winter?

Connected to the Earth they stand together

Supporting each other through an unseen network

Our biosphere of unimaginable diversity

Essential for vitality and well-being

Have we become so disconnected?

Have we forgotten the roots that connect us?

In our flight for shelter and safety

We are splitting apart

With no anchor to hold us together

Storms rage, scattering some and imprisoning others

Systems coopted by fear and greed

Our humanity remains in between cracks

Where innocent shoots push through hard earth

Listen closely to your inner voices

What is sprouting within you?

Listen closely to your heart

What is seeking the light?