Endurance and Beauty: A Sestina of the Cherry Tree

'Tis a wondrous sight, that cherry blossom tree
That stands beside the lake of North Eastern Hill
A University, in Shillong, doth see
The water's depths, that swallow all the fill
Of soil, and leave the roots in blackened state
As skeletons, bereft of life and will.

But lo, the storms that rage with fearsome hate!
The winds that blow with such tempestuous might
And uproot the tree, as if in spite
Of all its strength, its beauty, and its plight.
The hailstones that beat upon its branches
Like thunder slaps, in bitter icy slights.

And yet, despite the scorching sun's hot glances
That dry the leaves and trunk, as if in desert
The tree still blooms, in pinky, fragile dances
And presents its beauty to the world, unversed
In nature's ways, and all its destructive might
That seeks to crush, to break, to rend asunder.

And though the lake may take, and storms may smite
The cherry blossom tree, it stands in glory
A symbol of resilience, of the fight
Against all odds, and of a different story
Than that of man's destructive ways, that leave
The world in ruin, and the soul in misery.

For though the tree may suffer, and may grieve
It blossoms still, a testament to life
That even in the face of death, we achieve
The beauty of the present, free from strife
And though we may not see the end, the way
We'll stand and bloom, come what may.

So let us learn from cherry blossom tree
That stands beside the lake of North Eastern Hill
A University, in Shillong, to be
Resilient in the face of life's harsh fill
And though the storms may come, and winds may blow
We'll stand and bloom, come what may, and so.

 And so the tree doth stand, a mighty force
Against the tempests, hailstones, and the sun
That seek to break it down, to make it hoarse
In its defense. But lo, the battle's won
By nature's will, that doth endure and thrive
In spite of man's destructive, wicked course.

For man doth take, and take, and take, and give
Naught back, in turn, save ruin and despair
And in his wake, the world doth wilt and wive
In agony, bereft of beauty, rare
And grace, that nature's ways doth always bring
And man's destructive ways doth always snare.

And yet the cherry blossom tree doth sing
A song of hope, of life, and of the power
Of nature's will, that doth forever cling
To what is right, and good, and in its bower
Of strength and beauty, doth forever bloom
In spite of man's destructive hour.

For man doth not create, but doth consume
And in his greed, doth take, and take, and take
And leave the world in ruin, and assume
That he is might, and all else is but fake
But lo, the cherry blossom tree doth show
The truth of nature's strength, and man's mistake.

For nature's ways are true, and always so
And though the storms may rage, and winds may blow
The tree doth stand, and in its beauty, glow
A beacon of hope, in man's world of woe
For though the lake may take, and storms may smite
The cherry blossom tree, it stands in glory
A symbol of resilience, of the fight
Against all odds, and of a different story
Than that of man's destructive ways, that leave
The world in ruin, and the soul in misery.

And so we must learn from cherry blossom tree
And strive to be like it, in all our ways
To stand and bloom, come what may, and be
Resilient in the face of life's harsh blaze
And though the storms may come, and winds may blow
We'll stand and bloom, come what may, and so.

For in the end, it is not man's might
But nature's ways that will forever reign
And though we may not see the end in sight
We'll stand and bloom, come what may, and sustain
The beauty of the present, free from strife
And though we may not see the end, the way
We'll stand and bloom, come what may, and be
Like cherry blossom tree, resilient, free.









This poem is a part of the full poem from the published book "Homo Sapiens Part XII" in the Homo Sapiens book series by Mawphniang Napoleon. If you enjoy reading poems by this author, you can purchase all of their books in the series from a common online store available in your country.