LOVE Poem: Tree in the Woods, by Jo Lloyd Johnson

Your roots are deep
They beckon me
Pulling me towards you

You and the earth collide
Leaving cracks at the surface
Ditches and rivets I cross
As I journey
Unable to ignore your call

There you are
Moonlight dancing on your leaves
I stand in awe
Next to you I feel so small

Your bark is thick
Impenetrable
Your branches spread wide
Sturdy
Able to hold my weight

I climb your fortress of limbs
‘Til I’m safe within
Looking out
Looking up
The stars are bright
I enjoy the world from your sight

I want more
I want to explore your every part
I travel deeper
From branches to twigs
Until you break
And I fall

I’m bruised and you are broken
I promise to never push your limits again
I make myself a place
A home
I lie at your base

I water your roots
And one day you bloom
Beautiful buds all over you

Months later they turn into fruit
And feed my soul
Sweet to the taste
But then they turn
Rotting once they are inside

After many nights at your feet
I now know it’s time to leave
Your siren song still sings
Still pulls at me

In your shadow I have spent too long
It’s time that I move on
I’m a traveler you see
It seems this world
Doesn’t have a place for me