“Desert Dead Wood” — Image by kenne
“One by one her limbs succumb
to weight of vine and snow.
Winds blow hard, she cannot bend
her roots let go, she tips, and then . . .
her lumbering carcass comes to rest
amongst the rocks and flowers
in the understory of her youth.
Prayerful chipmunks eulogize.
Mulching worms and micro-organisms
tenderize what’s left of her.
Old molecules and rare earth ions
seek asylum in the rain, penetrate the hairy roots,
and rise up through the xylem of her progeny.”
— from Dead Wood by Ken Ingham
