Embers

There was a once a great tree, a great tree
Which stood tall as tall can be, can be
And shaded the ground, the ground
with branches wide and broad, and broad
Birds and beast made homes there, there
The Trees roots were deep and strong, strong
It stood against the wildest storm, wildest storm

Then one branch decided to leave, leave
And down it crashed leaving the rest, the rest
thinking it would become its own tree, tree
The other watched it as it fell, it fell
And together individually began to think, to think
Of standing alone, of being a tree, a tree
But the roots looked up and reminded the whole, whole
You need us to survive, us to grow, to grow

So the other branches waited and decided to watch
But the one branch grew its own roots, roots, roots
Shallow yes, but separate, apart, apart, apart
And it convinced a few to join it, join it, join it
So down two more fell, fell, fell
And the grand tree finally felt bare, bare, bare
Again the roots keep the others together, together
When a storm comes they will all shatter, shatter, shatter

So together through a warm spring, spring, spring
The grand tree, and the branches grew, grew, grew, grew
The gentle rains were easy and kind, kind, kind
And a few birds built nests in fallen branches, branches
And the branches, fallen felt fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine
Then summers heat came, and the rain was gone
And one of the fallen, died of thirst
The branches on grand old tree cried, cried, cried
for there fallen brothers to return, return, return
But the roots remind them they could not
Then a storm came, violent and strong, strong, strong
And two of the fallen fell unable to stand, stand, stand
The branches on the tree told them to stand, get up!
But with out roots, they could not and died
Now the fall came and the bitter cold, cold, cold
And finally the last of the fallen died, a slow death

And the grand tree mourned the fallen,
And the grand tree grew other branches
And the grand tree still stands unbroken
Unbending, unbeatable, rooted deep, strong
But fallen who can say what became of them?