A Small Seed

Moisture lingers in the air,
Glistening in the morning light.

The rich aroma of ancient soil
Teases the senses
And awakens the mind.

Deep in the earth,
Beneath my bare feet,
A small seed long ago
Expanded and grew.

It formed thick, winding roots
That slowly, persistently pushed
Their way through the dirt below
Towards the light above.

This knotted trunk witnessed
A history that I will never know...

Perhaps
The lovers' first kiss,
The tears of a fallen child,
The prayers of a mourner,
The whispered secrets shared between friends.

I can place my delicate hand
On this rough bark and feel
The heat of previous summers,
The chill of winters past,
The colorful radiance of Fall,
The joyful expectance of Spring.

I can lean my chin back
And look up from the shadows
To see the rays of light
Flickering, playfully,
Between its outstretched branches.

As the sunlight dances across my eyelids,
I wonder why,
In a world that's all about serving ourselves,
I don't take more time to stand in nature.

A sigh escapes me.
I feel a tension I did not know I possesed
Release from my body
In one, fluid motion.

And then I know...
I am also a small seed.

I too can look up
And slowly, persistently push
My way through this dirt below
Towards the light above.