Sequoia lovers: a villanelle

Sequoia lovers: a villanelle

As lovers to each other these two trees are drawn

And reach upward to infinity’s meeting place,

While woven roots entwined, resist the storm.

As lovers whose hearts, one to one, are drawn

Through all eternity, their limbs embrace

And succour and support flow, one to one;

Entwined, their woven roots resist the storm.

Rock disallows a tap root down to brace,

Yet fingers, weaving outwards, shall not be torn.

As lovers to each other, day, night and dawn

Inseparable, these two their spirits do co-enlace

And in each other’s strength, each is relied upon,

With woven roots that cannot be undone,

And as ages pass their twoness they misplace

As into each other eternally they are grown.

So may it be, with lovers, cross all space

That they should strengthen each with endless grace,

Lean into each other, as lovers, tightly drawn,

Enmesh their base, and so resist the storm.

©Tina Shettigara 2014

https://www.hikespeak.com/trails/north-grove-calaveras-big-trees-state-park-hike/

Giant Sequoia have a shallow matted root system and no tap root. For such a massive tree it looks odd to find them so commonly growing very close together, however this is advantageous to them as by entwining their roots they give each other stability. I love big trees and always feel quite moved by them.  They are ancient giants, and this "twinning" seemed to me to be totally romantic.

This poem arose to honour the wedding of my eldest daughter. It is therefore dedicated to Chaitanya and Dan.