Sapling

Leaves rustle in the wind, blowing the bark off the tree,

Sap drips from the fresh marks cut into the tree by a hummingbird,

The rough bark hides bugs from all that is to come,

As the years go by, I watch the trees around me change, but I stand strong and independent.

The under-coverage is nothing much, but it is an important part of a tree,

They stand strong, gaining as much sunlight as they can,

They desperately grasp for sunlight,

Floating in the air, the under-coverage rustles as the cool breeze goes by.

Leaves drop down onto the mossy, overgrown ground,

Bugs take shelter as the rain floods the land,

Snails and bugs crawl on the sharp edge of their deathbed,

Frogs pound in the lily-filled pond, lost memories drift.

Underground, the precious roots grow, entwining with each other,

Worms wiggle underneath the moist soil.,

Ants struggle to build their colonies,

Trapped door spiders wait for their prey…. patiently.