nesting chamber (Trees: #1)
lateral roots
entangle with soil and stone
a solid anchor
winter uncovers
strong limbed sky scrapers
lodged in the branches
woven of fine grass, lichen
last year's nest
tucked in the roots
a chamber lined with leaves
in a hollow
shelter and sustenance
for bird, reptile, mammal
inside
a fairy ring of trees
living magic
~ by Julie Naslund & Ingrid Bruck
***
tree (Trees: # 2)
sap
flowing skyward
with the birds
living cells thrive
beneath protective bark
water rises
up the micro-pipeline
out the leaves
photosynthesis
sunlight, chloroplasts
a vital engine
releasing clean air
plants and animals breathe
new growth
at the center, heartwood
silent history
~by Ingrid Bruck & Julie Naslund
***
windswept (Trees: #3)
winter babies
in needle lined cradles
pine cones rock
red osier and willow stems
play a wind rattle
windswept
hollow tree branch
the first flute
a howling
spruce trees lean
into the gale
inside ice armor
the woods sway and creak
at last
unfathomable silence
after the storm
~by Ingrid Bruck & Julie Naslund
***
wren on an old woman’s shoulder tasing white hair
~by Ingrid Bruck