I am the Branch that is Bent

I am the branch that is bent but never broken
Through wind, and rain, and snow I stand
Bending towards the ground with a beautiful, wooden arch
Like Atlas, I’ve carried the weight of the world upon my
broad shoulders
Under sunny skies I cast my long shadow across a rocky
path
Moonlight twinkles off of my snowy appendages
And with every fiber of my being, I tighten when you rest
your body along mine

I am the branch that is bent but never broken
Though ravaged by the changing seasons
I never break as I make this slow progression downwards
for all to see
Like Pericles, my effigy has been erected throughout time
immemorial
Beneath the clouds above I contemplate the inevitable
Rainbows stretching across grassy hills at parallel angles
With every snap as I hold you, the universe ignites once
again in a cyclical phenomenon

I am the branch that is bent but never broken