That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long. And now, in my old age, don’t set me aside. Don’t abandon me when my strength is failing. — Psalm 71: 8-9
Layers of bark, broken,
cracked like skin, aged
by heat and wind.
These trees have lived
long, seen season
after season, endured
ice storms and waves
of August heat, and yet
they gain in strength,
changing each year
from fall to winter,
spring to summer,
deepening their lines
of wisdom. I touch
just above my cheek,
those lines that are
just settling in,
impressions of a life
that has seen a few
seasons, and I understand
why lately I’m enamored
with the barks of trees — I am
beginning to consider aging
in the way these sage old trees
have always comprehended —
as more time on this good earth
to honor You.
—C.L. Fisher, November 2020
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