Wind in the trees

Just past the left turn
near the bent old tree
was a stump of another tree
cut down long ago,
whether by storm or accident or
some idea of aesthetics or spatial relations
but most people drove by
without noticing it.
Dass said something about trees
teaching us how to accept ourselves
and then Darwin stepped in
to bemoan our many blunders
and they’re both right.
We are all beautiful screwups.
Twisted like trees. Aching for sun.
Thirsty. All different shapes,
some more useful than pretty.
Once we learn to survive wind, we sway.