Member-only story
The Trees of the Ukraine
Timbers tall
Engage the sky
Grip the earth.
Rendering people,
Really small.
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Thin trunks
Reach skywards
Sharply spiking
Piercing clouds.
A parting of the ways.
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Majestic
Green and grey
Young, old
Strong.
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But sometimes, rotten to the core.
Like despots
Fury-filled
Democratic demi-gods
hidden in plain view,
Waiting to invade.
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Push boundaries.
Inflict exponential pain
For personal gain.
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Trees can topple
Crippled, cancerous
Internal splintering.
No longer weight-bearing
They fall.
Silent in the forest.
*
Despots push boundaries,
Loudly.
Frighteningly violent.
They circle like vultures