Skip to main content

Live Oaks

Live Oaks

We grew in singularity
until, with age, weather, and season
your arms spread just within my reach.

We mingled in the closeness of summer air
our breath sweetened with honeysuckle,
yet
sirens and banshees
(blustered forth on Autumn’s chill)
taunted our courtship.


We swayed
not fully hardened,
And once
A branch broke loose
(Not yours nor mine but ours)
in a thunderstorm
and we let go.

We mourned
and leaned
ever closer.

Fingers splayed toward Heaven
Passe’
Penche’
Plie’.

Fixed by God and Earth,
roots and shared history,
yet
Lithe by God’s design,
Rain, and temperance.
We are ever closer.

Spanish moss leaps
With our bodies’
Embrace and repose.
Our roots visible
Licked by the things that set in
And creep close
When one is alive and still:
frost,
serpents,
sweet dew.

Our cathedral
Of life
gnarling and twisting
Into a canopy of mottled brilliance
A house strengthened by imperfection.



Copyright © 2010. Carrie Ellen Campbell. All Rights Reserved. http://carriellencampbell.blogspot.com. Please respect Carrie's intellectual property. Sharing blog posts is permitted, but no part of this material may be copied, downloaded, reproduced, or printed without express written consent. Contact Carrie at: carrieellencampbell@icloud.com.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Shepherd

            “Damned coyotes.” Clifton Ellis followed the blood trail from the sheep shed with no hope of finding the stolen lamb. The ewe bleated, unconsoled. In a terrified frenzy, she’d trampled the lamb’s twin during the coyotes’ last visit. Now, she was alone within the flock.
Post a Comment
Read more

Cooking: a necessary evil (when one loves to eat)

I should be well over 300 pounds. Only God's good will, or more likely his good sense of humor, keeps me thin. That's not completely true. What's that?  Oh, yeah. I do that a lot. Interrupt one thought with another.  You'll learn that about me. No, I don't think it is ADD. Anyway....It isn't completely true, because I rarely sit still. You'll learn that about me too. Yes, I agree, HD (hyperactivity disorder) is likely...have you met my children? Look, can we talk about the fact that I'm squirmy some other time?  I want to tell you why I should be fat. First, let me say...yeah, that's another habit...I tend to preface everything. I'll explain that compulsion later too. I warned you: I'm complicated--I just happen to know myself quite well. Let me say that I love big people: big bones, big personalities, big hugs, large frame, fat and happy, XL, XXL, XXXL, and all. I love people who embrace who they are at any and all sizes. During many ages ...
Post a Comment
Read more

the things I'll never understand part I

Aidan was sixmonthsold. It was a hot July--no rainfull respites. It was hot, and relief came only indoors and in the shade. I love theme park food. Pickles--bigandoverpriced--funnelcakes--spaghetti with twohugemeatballs....somewhere behind Pompeii, across from the wax roses and cut crystal....Busch Gardens, Williamsburg. If I was going to sit, I might as well eat too...and why not catch a show while we were at it? It was one of those situations in which the show didn't really matter--it could be mud wrestling, and we weren't going to move. The seats and the shade and the cold drinks felt good--the spaghetti too, and Aidan contented himself in his stroller--Hallelujah! All things bright and beautiful--cooler too. The show was a song and dance review...imagine any theme park amphitheatre, add some flashy costumes and you've got it...my mom loves these things (smile). Okay, I'll admit it, I kind of like them too....only, I'm jaded, so I pretend to play it cool. I p...
Post a Comment
Read more