Late February, 2011.

When a tree's roots
grow deep,
it's hard for the wind
to blow it down.
But when a young tree
is felled by an ax
or something sudden
like a strike of lightning,
pain ripples through the forest.
Branches break from the sides
of the older trees
as they try to catch
the young tree as it descends
and the saplings bend
from the weight of loss.
The fallen tree settles
onto the forest floor
and time passes
and seasons change.
Until one day the whole forest
is nourished and strengthened
by the memory
of the young tree's life.