Treetop
By
John I. Blair
Have you ever climbed a tree
To see what life’s like at the top?
The first few feet are very hard,
Shinnying up the trunk,
Flinging a leg around a limb.
Sometimes, as in a well-shaped pine,
Magnolia, cedar, spruce or willow,
From the bottom rung the rest is easy:
One hand, one toe beyond another.
But many trees are more resistant:
Oaks, elms, pecans concede little,
Grow their branches far apart,
Gird their crowns with snags and gaps.
In either case, it’s worth the effort;
Only those who reach the crest
Know how dazzling the light,
Dizzying the wind,
Delirious the prospect,
Sad the thought
You can progress no farther.
©2004 John I. Blair
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