Romancing a Tree (version one)

More slender than grass stalks,
tall women of the forest
call me to their wombsGentle angels standing,
swaying in time with early morning winds
I walk among, enchanted

How long have you been here,
who else has seen you?
I don’t really care about that
anymore

Pines scatter slender needles among salal
Pacific coast cedar twist toward ocean
gentle boughs pat native rhododendron

Who cut you down
Why do you keep coming back?
I only want to stroll through your paths

She arrives all in glory
Rare to my life
Satin skin, cool and red-orange
Names: Madroño, Madroña, Bearberry, Strawberry Tree, and Arbutus.
To me you are “Madrona”
An evergreen mother against grey Northwestern skies

What loved you
as much as me
I merely romance trees