The Giving Tree
Eloise was a tree. She grew tall and strong and green feet
roots sprouted leg trunks sprouted branch body and branch arms sprouted leaf head and hair.
Eloise was a tree.
James was a woodpecker,
He visited her on Sundays when it didn’t rain and ate bugs off her skin and ran his feet through her hair-
They were cold but she didn’t mind,
But James was a woodpecker and birds fly south for the winter,
She couldn’t follow,
She had to remain true to her roots.
Eric was a squirrel,
He came to Eloise on weekdays that he didn’t spend in his girlfriend’s hole,
He burrowed into her and it hurt a little,
But he was warm and she was glad for the companionship,
But Eric was a squirrel
and eventually he went off in search of his nuts and she never saw him again.
Harold was a lumberjack and she fell for him,
Of course he was just using her for her body,
They all were, in the end.