GRAND OAK

An acorn fell on woodland floor
A miracle from autumn’s store

On a warm spring day, the shell broke
Where inside a sprout awoke

It lifted up its fragile body
Chose the sun as its new hobby

Searching roots crawled to fertile ground
Taping water from soil found

Limbs arched like suspension bridges
Developed bark wrapped trunk with ridges

In passing time it climbed quite high
Until it ruled the forest sky

Grandest prize of wood oaks found
A sturdy home to thrive moist sound

To it the animals soon sought
A fortress place to build their cots

Like birds who formed a comfy nest
And Squirrels who found their food and rest

Ants climbed high to reach its leaves
The spiders built a web to please

Everything here seemed just so swell
But danger in the woodland dwelled

A thunderstorm brewed from the west
Lightening split apart oak tree crest

Weakening its strength by many degrees
As it succumbed to a disease

Years later, another storm passed
In what would prove to be its last

With snapping crash the oak did break
Giving the earth a barking quake

Leader of the oaks crushed to rot
In this the bottom woodland plot

Sorrowed ending for our grand friend
But its spirit would never end

Just a stump of a greater plan
Left there for us to understand

West wind had tossed its acorns far
And our grand oak passed on its star