Full Bloom

I wrote this for my sister for her birthday.

O little sapling!
You came but two summers after me
And grew in my shadows,
But this was no hindrance.
You took that shade,
And made it your sun.

Spring and Summer are long gone now
And to say the least,
You are unlike the others.
You are still in full bloom.
Mother Autumn’s chilly whisper
Left you unscathed;
The icy breath of Father Winter
Passed you by,
And not a petal is dropped.

Don’t let the lesser flora
Break your branches
Or loosen your roots,
For you are a spectacle
Of Nature’s fine hand.

Even after I return to the Earth,
After every other tree akin to you is gone,
There you will be,
Standing proud, standing strong, standing resolute.

O little sapling!
It seems you have an admirer!
A little girl is staring up at you and wonders,
“How did you get so big and strong?”
And through a gentle breeze, you answer,
“Because I am loved.”