Ode To a Tree

When I first saw you,

You were bare,

I thought

You're like the rest

Of them trees,

The limbs of yours

I could not see -

How high they stretch;

How worn they are.

But now,

It's all there,

In the open:

Better than the rest,

Taller,

Thicker,

Broader.

Had you a mouth,

You would speak,

Of all those,

Who you've had

Under your spell,

Of all those,

Who you sheltered

Under your leaves.

But since you're silent

I can't be sure,

So I think

I'm the first,

Whom your limbs

Seem to embrace;

Whom your leaves

Seem to shield,

From a burning sun.

But even so,

I say I'm different -

I saw you first

 In the dark.