Trees
For Charles Randall Stanfield
They do much more than just be god-like, trees,
Make fruit and limb spans, just be makers of
The blossoms, bark, and roots. The leaf that frees
The oxygen to air is far above
These gifts. The trees refuse to blandly stand
In summer sun like posing beauty queens.
Trees wave truth’s sound to breezes and command
Salvific shadows groundward. Spreading greens
Change rain to deepest meanings . . . foremost life
Itself. Trees launch their scents to afternoons
That God, Creator, walked in. Trees are rife
With plenty, standing under citrus moons.
The trees are far more ancient, nobler than
….The later creatures, lesser ones like man.