As the limbs bend

with the weight of the leaves

sodden with rain

I am reminded

how rooted I am

to the ground of my being—

to the saturated moss

with its little streams

seeping into the earth,

to the dirt and mud

caking the soles of my boots,

to the sound of the wind.



I am reminded

as I touch, re-touch

this lichen-covered stone

how deep down I am growing,

inch by cellular inch

into my father’s bones.