Scrub pines
don't ask for much.
No one gives them much.
They don't get much;
they don't need much.
Somewhere colder,
windier,
harsher
than where most trees
find comfort,
if you are up to the climb,
you will find them
holding on.
In thin mountain air,
through drought,
through winter,
through more than you
would want.
In bare patches
of thin earth,
roots in rock,
you will find them
holding on to
views
spectacular,
unimaginable.
Copyright 2007 Todd Mertz