My Tree, My Stars

 I was born underneath a tree.
An oak tree with a thick and climbable trunk and lots of branches to play on.
I carved my name into it. This was my home. 
Under this tree is where I grew up.
I became lithe and tough from climbing   and at night I would lie underneath it staring up at the sky through the branches.
The stars gave me a giddy feeling deep in my stomach.
There was never a need to fear the darkness of the rest of the forest because I always knew where to go back to.
One day though I got called to war. I had never left my tree before, but they persisted and soon I began to think it was the right thing too. 
I was whisked away from my tree and soon my juvenile tendencies turned at the face of intolerance.  
During the war I learned the viciousness of civility. 
After years of battle I finally returned. I was excited to finally see my tree again. 
When I got back I could not find it. I asked and asked but no one knew where my tree had gone. 
I searched deep inside to find the answer but to no avail. My tree had disappeared. 
Years later I was walking through the forest, long since had I thought about my old home when I stumbled upon an old oak tree.
My name was carved into it. 
Only this tree was old and decaying with 
conspicuous dead branches and a hollow trunk. 
There was no life in this tree. This was no home. 
I lay down under it like I used to and looked up through the branches. 
Although now the limbs I looked through were dead, I looked up at the same sky. 
The sky I looked at as a child. 
This is when I learned the only thing I really have is the stars.
However bleak and desolate my tree had become, my stars would always be there.

Tags: Abstract, Hope, Imagery, Encouraging, Inspirational, Deep,