Oak by the Avon

Master of the water meadows,
Guardian of the ancient pilgrim-trodden path,
Girth radiating upright strength of growth and witness.
For so long unnoticed, always carried away by my own
Thoughts
Until one day I stopped ……..and looked, not knowing why.
Noble work of nature, giant branches outstretched
In supplication to the sun,
Leaves feeding on each moment of light,
Roots deep in the past.

My great grandparents worked this land, came from the earth.
Perhaps they travelled this same path and sought shelter or rest
Beneath your calming boughs,
Sensed gratitude for previous generations,
Sadness for being able to share so little, and joy at being alive.
Were their lives so full of struggle that there was no time for
Reflection?
Did they laugh at life’s absurdities?

Questions directed towards the tree, no expectation of answer.
What is passed from past to present?
In that moment, those ancestors come closer,
Unknown yet part of me,
Gratitude unfolding,
Inner recognition of inheritance completing the circle,
Freeing me to walk on
Until my next return.

Geoff Butts