The Tree By the Bay
#5 in the Salvaged Stories Series
To all who are weary. To Survivors who are working hard to heal. Remember that you are stronger than you may feel or think. This poem is my encouragement to you today.
I took time away from the cottage to sort through the hundreds—probably thousands—of pages of processing I did during my ten years of healing. Not all need to be saved since I am not in those dark places any longer. But, mixed in with the processing was writing worth salvaging. This poem was written in 2017 while visiting Mission Bay, California. It was originally included in Brave: Healing Childhood Trauma but was removed during the editing process. I always have way more material than one book can contain!
A Tree Beside the Bay
I saw a tree,
Growing free.
It reminded me of parts of me,
Tangled together thoroughly.
I had to walk away from it,
For in the lens it wouldn't fit.
Then, in its shade, I chose to sit.
To ponder the endless reach of it.
The roots were long,
The roots were strong.
The branches were long,
The branches were strong .
Above and below,
Both did grow .
Both did show,
That growth was slow.
I could stop and hide,
Neath that tree so wide.
Someone had surely tried,
A homeless stash I spied.
So complex was this strong tree,
Much like the complexity of me.
The strength is evident for all to see,
That strong, eternal tree is me.