Old Man Gum Tree
24th August 2023

Old Man Gum Tree,
what do you know,
is it the wind and the wet,
the sun and warmth,
or is it the cold,
and the snow.

Is it the insects and birds,
possums befouled,
people walking by your base,
or is it smoke and pollution,
tricks and collusion,
is it wondering if you have a place.

Do you know me Old Man,
remember my childhood,
riding past you probably at pace,
can you see the lines that have developed,
the stress, the aging, the living,
now etched,
in my face.

Inspiration: walking with my mother past an old gum tree,
in the park behind the family home where I grew up..

Gum Tree,
Napier Park,
Melbourne