“Tangled Oaks”

“Tangled Oaks” A Mort Laitner Poem

The oak grips the ground as if it fears the wind.

Thousands of roots tear into the soil anchoring to jagged stones.

The oak remembers hurricanes by their year and by their name.

As a thousand roots sip sandy soil soup, knowing this

meal guarantees growth of a quarter inch a year.

The old oak now weighs well over two tons;

its branches are proudly dressed in Spanish moss.

But the roots still remember the taste of drought.

The moss recalls the smell of fire and the taste of old flames.

As the moss sways to the music of the air,

the old oak has tangled thoughts of a life well lived.

What the readers are saying:

Proud to report that The South Florida Writers Association’s The Authors Voice has published “Tangled Oaks” in its May edition—Thanks Editor Teresa Bendara.