Offshoot Up Against The Wall

Rising above unexpectedly against all odds...

Occasionally an offshoot rises above ground far from the source plant against all odds. Trees in the desert spread shallow roots far and wide to collect as much moisture as possible since rain is sparse. What little falls doesn't soak in deep and must be absorbed quickly. Occasionally water will collect in a spot and one of the shallow roots takes advantage of it to sprout an offshoot.

Tenaciously the offshoots survive by drawing water from the main tree that has a deep taproot far into the earth as a reserve. The sprig then grows strong enough to build its own root system and become an independent thriving tree larger or smaller than the mother tree depending on location. The will to survive and grow makes the ultimate size irrelevant rather what matters is the ability to make maximum use of what is available and continue to live and grow.

Deadwood

Aged and dry refashioned with new mission...

Taproot went far down and deep
no more surface water to seep,
aquifer ran dry far underground,
tree now windbreaker earthbound...

Desert Brush and Cattails

Soaking up sun above and taproot underground...

In the desert dry washes

when water flows and soaks

underground...

Grasses, brush and cattails

revive with unique splendor

above ground...

Bone Dry and Parched

Lone tree in ambient desert red sky...

Beneath Bended Tree

Grand Canal respite from urban heat island...

Trees and Sky

Contemplative natural simplicity...

Lone Tree

Palo Verde on the rocks...

Bridge Over A Divide

Crossing over to another side...

Each time I approach a bridge

which crossing goes another place,

a breath, a flinch, a loaded cartridge,

briefly fears gun barrel firing into space,

since on the other side is a ridge.

Now having traversed span trepidation aside

up and over crest, rocks crunched underfoot,

crushed to reach what is over divide.

Finding oasis cultivated with deep taproot,

With arbor replacing bridge over path as guide.

Thriving In The Inhospitable

Joshua Trees live after eons of adaptation...

Survival against all odds by harmonizing and adjusting with nature.

I Want To Be Like A Tree

With skills to adapt wherever I am...

A Palo Verde adding value to the universe surrounding me.

A tree with a deep taproot for lean years and shallow surface roots for abundant years to sustain myself under different circumstances and keep the earth around me from eroding. With a trunk that is sturdy, sinewy and strong, protected by bark and able to withstand high winds and stormy weather. With a system of stems to support tissue and disseminate cells for good health and a reason to be optimistic about the world that surrounds me. Branches that grow long and hardy with twigs to grow leaves rich in oxygen production and carbon dioxide reduction.

It would be alright by me to be any tree, deciduous or evergreen, large or small, rainforest or desert, any climate in between. In a climate with a lot of rain opportunity is almost always there to make the most of. In an arid hot and dry one using resources wisely is paramount and advantageous.

My choice though is to be like a Palo Verde tree that has overhanging and sweeping branches that provide shade in the hot desert. My capital would be spent wisely and stockpiled for the dry spells and in rainy seasons bloom yellow flowers to germinate. I would live hundreds of years, see epochs of history, provide shade and shelter for people and animals, survive and thrive to benefit the geography of life that surrounds me.

Arizona Landscape

Scores of tree rings sawed off...

Underneath is a dying taproot that goes very deep into earth.