Poetry Challenge for ARC graduates and participants

I STAND LIKE A TREE

Winds may blow violently at times,

Others, gently whispering cool secrets.

The deluge of the day wears away,

Digging deep around my roots.

My roots hold on. My trunk is solid,

strong, and determined. My skin protects.

The night approaches slowly

Silently like a hunting lion.

Chilled to the core, everything is darkened,

Some find fear here.

I sleep soundly. Dreaming of the light

And the life it helps me make.

Smoke fills the air. Fires burn below.

There is trouble brewing;

From time to time, panic sets in.

The clouds gather and the shadows lurk.

I stand like a tree because I am me.

And that is all I need to be.

john arsenault May 2007.

If anyARC graduates or current students have a poem or other writing that you want to submit for publication with the ARC Blog send them to John Arsenault. Submissions must be appropriate and relevant with your ARC experience. Advice, reflections, accounts of post-course service work, or other creative endeavors are most welcome. Happy trails.