Upright Driftwood, by Susan Christensen

Upright Driftwood
(Musings on the alpine meadows of Mt. Washington)

Lightning blasted or feasted on by beetles,

These limbless skeletons

Stand tall amongst the alpine blooms--

A testament to the endurance

Of strong roots and communal support.

These afterlives are the monoliths of the past

Filling a present purpose.

They are the upright driftwood fixed in the swampy earth,

Old sign posts of history proving

An integral part of vibrant growth—

Giving substance to the young,

Hosting, sharing and sheltering

The myriad lives of the meadow.

This alpine scene, seen only by rare intruders,

Is complete unto itself.

Quietly, glorying in the cyclical seasons,

Ancestral arboreal remains

Stand starkly

Smooth as weather-stripped barkless bones

Bearing witness to the past,

Punctuating the green present.

Here, an individual makes his mark

By simply being.

There is no need for some unnatural graveyard

Of neatly filed remains with stone engravings

And artificial flowers.

There is no need to travel far from home

To make one’s imprint on future generations.

by Susan Christensen