25 Sep Back 40: Sentrees

Guardians on a hill
Ever a watchful eye.
Spraying branches to fill
An ever-enveloping sky.

What history have they seen
with many a passers-by?
Cruelness of the white sheen
Finally releasing buds of spring.

Industrious inhabitants of fur
Stocking up in hidden holes.
The giants still, pausing to hear
The inner workings of their soul.

Autumn comes to take leaves away
While the great ones hold forth.
Knowing that they may fray
While enduring the battle from the north.

Sentrees steady on their course
Abiding patience with the land
Content as part of the source
In their knowledge of the plan.

In addition to authoring short stories and articles widely published across a range of regional and national publications, John Kelly is the founder and creative director of JKellyWorks, a brand-development company specializing in corporate scriptwriting. Raised in the Pacific Northwest, he now lives in the hamlet of Snowball, Arkansas with his wife, Dawn, and their ever-growing menagerie.