Post Oak

Post Oak














I remember the big tree
that lived on my land
God's land in Travis county
in the Spears' League in Austin, Texas
an acorn came to settle on that spot
had to sweat it out and not rot
turn into a seedling
sprout its way upwards
reaching high to first no one around
not even an encroaching rancher's thigh
no sirree
tall and up to the heavens so that
by the time it appeared as a nice lookin'
sap on the square of land on which they marked a plot
in the year circa 1933
and built a triplex apartment house
on that gorgeous shady spot
it was a strong lookin' handsome tree
that covered the whole house and so much
more than that
serving as a home for ants, tree roaches and other critters
and as nest for featherlings and nut crunchin' sitters,
Oh yes that Big Old Tree that survived
a swing and several piñatas and thousands
of chirps, nests and first ever flights
under the gloriously hot Texas sun
returned to the earth in which it had been cradled and born
a final thunderstorm
took it home
1st of July two
thousand and one.
Note: The irreplaceable post oak was estimated to be 150 years old and left us after four days of continuous rain on 7/1/2001.