I could be the wind.
I could be the wind that blows
sometimes hard, sometimes soft,
from different directions

I could be the wind
that swirls around and picks things up
and lets them fall elsewhere

And you could be the tree,
your leaves first, and then your limbs
stretching out along the lines
of my blowing, your roots reaching,
grasping a deeper anchor,
lines of strength growing up
along your trunk

You could be the tree
growing more and more
into yourself,  the essence of you
gaining power

It wouldn’t be that I shaped you,
or that my essence
determined yours,
but what you are would not be harmed
by my presence –
what you are would reach into itself
and bring up more.

©Wendy Mulhern
October 19, 2021