The Blood & The Bones

against the odds, I stoodnot like a mighty giantor a mountainbut instead, a treewith delicate branches and needleseasily scattered by the breezeand so they thought me to be fragileone strong gust away from breakingbut still I swayed gracefullywith the windand weathered every bendstrongenduringeven when I did not seem sturdyfor it was my rootsthey could not seeburied deepsurviving stormsthat changed my shapeand my storydefying every threatto destroy meand yet, I remainedrooted, readyever standing, ever steadynot a giantnot a mountainbut a treethe blood& the bones