I saw the last beginning,
And I will see the next end.
Older the very dirt I lay my roots in.
Older than the beasts that walked this planet far before your time.
I stand firm.
Hydrated by the very rain the beasts drank,
And nourished by the very sun that dried their bones.
I saw them live, I saw them survive,
I saw them fight.
I saw them wring each other’s necks,
I saw their blood drain into the dirt.
I saw their life drain from their bodies
And into my roots.
I saw the fall of beasts,
And the rise of man.
I saw the sharing of the first leaf
And the throwing of the first stone.
I saw the falling of my younger friends.
I saw the ax you refuse to use on me.
If only I deserved such mercy.
I saw the casting of the first spear
I saw the thrust of the first sword
I saw the crack of the first whip
I saw the shooting of the first gun
And I will see the blast of the last bomb
I will the next beginning
And I will see the next end.
