Trees die standing tall,
enduring weather, breathing in
the happiness they shelter
under their selfless leaves.
*
They branch their perennial dreams
by resigning their otherworldly ambition
to quietly nurse into freedom
the wild creatures they love.
*
Happiness is in giving, they know;
to receive, like an empty vessel,
only leads to greed and suffering,
but trees are rooted in hope.
*
That’s why they stand tall.
**