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.