Evergreen

Sheltering beneath the evergreen
From overcast skies and shadows that stalk me
Seeking solace from my own sterility
Nursing woes monumental in my eyes only
Silent and surly I await the end
Of these daylight hours. I beat my fists
Against the stubborn hugeness of this
Endless afternoon, cloudy and unclear
Mirrored in the single, all-encompassing
Dark eye of God. I hold my breath

I rest my head against the burnished trunk
I grip it with my tarnished talons
I am an honoured guest in this green house
And these fiends in my head scream
But are driven away for they have no place
In this secret emerald world. The leafy curtains
Of this tree surround me. It is my friend -
This magnificent, benevolent living thing
I accept the gifts its verdant spirits bring
As something within me begins to sing.