The Lightning Tree

The Lightning Tree* 

It doesn’t have to be a tragedy, 

being struck by lightning, 

being stripped of your bark 

isn't worse than a bite. 

Being struck by lightning, perhaps 

shedding yourself layer by layer 

isn’t worse than a bite 

to the core. 

Shedding yourself, layer by layer 

shot through the heart, by a bolt  

to the core, 

no blame, no shame, bolting from your fate. 

Shot through the heart by a bolt, 

there is no escape, no escaping electricity, 

no blame, no shame, bolting from your fate, 

energy crashing through you. 

There is no escaping, no escaping electricity, and 

you are reduced, to a stump of wood, 

energy crashed through you, 

reduced you to a stick, to a blade, of grass. 

You are reduced, to a stump of wood, as 

your ash turns to dust, 

reduced to a stick, to a blade of grass, as 

you feed the soil, nourish the earth, 

your ash turns to dust, but 

you renew, grow anew, as you 

feed the soil, nourish the earth, 

merging, like traffic on a slip road. 

You renew, grow through, 

slipping, into regeneration 

like merging traffic on a slip road, emerging 

from disintegration, desolation, annihilation, 

slipping into regeneration, 

cells multiplying, pushing through dead matter, emerging 

from disintegration, desolation, annihilation, 

this matter, you matter, as your 

cells multiply, push through dead matter, 

you matter, as you spread new branches,  

you matter, this matters, as 

you allow the murder of crows, as 

you spread new branches, 

to roost within you, 

this murder of crows 

building homes in your limbs, 

to roost within you 

for 500 years, or more, 

building homes in your limbs, and yet 

they still say that you're a failed tree, 

after 500 years, or more 

being stripped of your bark,  

they still say that you’re a failed tree, and yet 

it doesn’t have to be a tragedy. 

#lightningtree #extendedmetaphor