Like a Moody God

Last night
when you threatened to kill me
I realized how much
I love you.
To you I am just another beastie
among chipmunks and chickadees
who you shelter
like an uncaged zoo
or on whom you drop a widowmaker
limb the size of a car
and don't even notice
if we dodge.
You are so tall you actually
grasp the clouds and pull
them to the ground
for a drink.
Every Autumn you
bury my deck in duff.
Every day your roots
lift, cracking my foundation.
Your trunk expands,
your branches lengthen,
you bend with storms,
you smell of sunlight,
you anchor this hillside,
you endure: so strong,
so patient, so indifferent
my love.

12/10/83

Next: Maria, Christmas Eve

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