Clings to a rock
Root suckles at soil
Leaf stretches for warmth.
Where moss can grow
Footholds of green
Press on gray.
Love’s caress breathes your scent
Stuck to you as bark along the branch.
Wood, too wet to burn
Smokes out the flies
—Noisy pests that seek blood.
***
The Tunnel
*inspired by trees growing out of rock at
Western Washington University’s arboretum tunnel
