A Hollowed Out Tree

Living inside the base of a
hollowed out tree

Since childhood, my dreams
have been formed

Living inside a space where
the walls almost touched

Kept me hidden, protected,
and warm

Living inside a place that
no others could see

Beyond privacy, I became lost
in myself

Living inside the base of a
hollowed out tree

Where boyhood memories and early wishes,
—still dwell

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2016)