She tried to trod the well-worn path,

but finding it not to her liking,

she left, and coming to a creek saw

a tree growing most peculiarly –

its bent trunk parallel to the ground

before it turned suddenly

and stretched upward toward the sky.

“It’s clear you’ve weathered storms,” she said,

“and followed a path not typical for trees.

I look at you and smile and say,

‘there grows a tree like me.’ “

                                                                                                                         JDG