spruce that bends

i may have paid some attention to it when i was young
maybe hugged it and kissed it in some childhood game
but it was hardly a thing
i would have thought of as home.

returning and seeing it still there
so dedicated, so sure, so steadfast
i gained a whole new appreciation.

you’ve been here this entire time.

through soulless nights
freezing blizzards
and every average day that has occurred.

spruce that bends near my bedroom window
i always thought of you as the backdrop
the background to my story
but now i realize i was the visitor.

and we are all visitors to this land.