I AM

by Lisa Barker

Ten months of clear skies
and steady, warm sun.

Lightning strikes suddenly, unexpectedly.
Thunder recalls previous storms.

A summer storm? A clearing of air?
Or the revelation of a storm that has
never passed?

Duck and cover.
Listen within.
Remember the plan, the proof of who I Am.

The storm may come; I will stand tall.
Lightning may break my boughs; I will grow new limbs.

An oak tall and strong.
Ever green.
Eternal.
Rooted.
Reaching into the sky, stretching beyond.

Sunshine nurtures.
Rain sustains.
Lightning illuminates.
Thunder echoes my soul’s song.

I am, I will.

I Am.