Bamboo

Green stalks shifting in the dappled sunlight

Between thousands of spear-shaped leaves.

A forest of souls,

A tranquil grove,

Yellow and a million shades of green.

Silent but seen –

By the eyes of many.

Twitching every moment,

Grows tall and towers dark.

Initials burned like a scar into memory.

Children play between its branches,

Grateful for the shade.