Angel Oak

with twain he covered his face,
and with twain he covered his feet,
and with twain he did fly. Isaiah 6:2

Filled with the glory of God
you stretch out toward heaven,
grasp at the wind,
cover your head with
the sackcloth of Spanish moss,
ashes of lichen and fern.

For fourteen centuries
you have gloried
in the winds of hurricanes,
almost taking flight.
With your limbs
out stretched
you would fly,
branches supported
by the thick low country air,
which you breathe.

And with your limbs to the ground,
you cover the thick roots
breaking through soil
holding you,
fixing you
to the place
of your birth.