Poisonous Words

My water was poisoned with words

When I was just a sapling,

And for lack of a better choice

My roots soaked them all up,

Life and Death spread throughout me,

Every limb, every vein,

Every thought in my mind

Battlegrounds of a fight for dominance.

Children have hung tires

From my branches,

Robins eggs have hatched

In my notches,

My leaves have been

Sprightly and abundant

Under the sunlight,

But Death is skillful

And Life has become weary.

My branches

That once held children

Now crack in the gentlest breeze,

My leaves

That were once so vibrant

Now lie shriveled at my feet,

The only life inside me

Are the termites in my head,

Sink your fingers

Into my soft skin

And feel from my insides,

These poison words,

They grab my shoulders

And push me down,

Drowning me in the earth

From where I was born.

Reviews

[TheOneWhoNotices]

The imagery in this was woven perfectly! You are skilled dear poet!

[Lewelyn Seabring]

Life from a tree's point of view, how clever! Every now and then, I'll come upon something and think, "man, I wish I would've thought of that". This is definitely one of those somethings!