goldstream

the keepers of the forest

giants enshrouded
in mysteries green
wisps
of wisdom hanging
from their branches

trunks sturdy and
unmoving roots
entangled none alone
intermingled the multitude —towering
above— becomes one

what have they seen?
standing through it all
through drought
through fire
through flood

through the whorl of humanity’s hustle
they have stood on guard for thee

saluted centuries of salmon upstream dying
breaths restful refuge for marbled murrelet
sheltered sacred remains of Salish mourned
forced removal of Songhees empty
promises of namesake treaty
chuckled at flash-in-a-pan gold rush of 1863
remained despite threats to leave
confederation survived the deep cuts of E&N rail
resisted the ravages of urban land grabs and city sprawl

from silence to cacophony
from first peoples to city dwellers
these are the keepers of the forest
still
standing

Written by Scott Moore
Illustrated by Landon Wideman

Inspired July 2018