growing up in the shade
of
taller trees
he never had the sunshine
upon him

and

never grew as he should

but

he grew as: he would
never be king of the wood
so there he stood

bow-
ing to the smallest wind
who thread him bare
with all of the com-
passion
of a casino pit dealer
yet
life is like that
and even a tree knows that
decks are stacke.......d.......ice
are loaded

a tree
like anything else
cannot know what fate can be-
f
a
l
l

him

Being the only runt of the wood
he wood stand alone

until one day
lo
and behold
belo-
w
he be-
held
the foll-
o-
wing:

a vine of wild roses twin-
ing around hiss lean trunk
her pet-
als
brushed him
s'lightly
and so-
on
he ws trunk over leaves in love

for many a day she care-
ssed his smooth bark
and still he never grew
an inch except in love
with her:
he felt enchanting-
ly tall

she grew higher and tighter
around his trunk
until her thorns drew his blood
and he cried aloud-why?

she laughed at his plight
you are the runt
the others know me well enough
to know
that to love the rose
is to be stabbed by the thorns
I don't intend to be brutal
but that's the way of
beauty
love
roses

all I ever really wanted
ws
a little sunshine
and you were my way up
be grateful for that which
i gave

he bled and bled until winter
she died with the first frost
he thought it apropos


this story is true
i told it as i witnessed it
and listened to his tale
of woe

i empathized so much
i carved up and around
his trunk:

a tree

like me
cannot know what fate can be-
f
a
l
l

him