There are trees near the side of the road...

Strong and starkly beautiful.
They are filled with gentle strength.
Reaching upwards, dark against
The clear, blue sky.

Straight and true,
The stand curving upwards.
Waiting patiently for spring
They grow strong together.

Holding secrets, memories
and hiding places.
Deeply rooted in the ground,
Firm and unmoving.

Towering above me,
Gnarled and time worn.
All waiting to unfold, to spring forth
In a new beginning, with new life.

Their symmetry shows
Their innate beauty...
They are open, reaching upwards
to the light.

Yet there are thickets too,
Tangled, dark and dense.
Hard to press through,
Easy to lose your way.

But the trees are always
Straight and true,
Looking up to the light.
Leaving their mark.

They have a grip on life...
Never will they give up.
Low branches help
And hold each other.

They stand, in the winter of life...waiting for spring.