The Red Gum
By Mia M
Published 2 July 2024
A red gum tree,
reaching out to the sun while others stay low.
A queen,
with no other guards but her strong branches
prepared to sacrifice herself for anything else.
The sun filters through her sage-coloured leaves
as the wind makes them dance and leap, creating swirls in the sky.
Looking down her smooth, wide trunk,
I see bark peeling off like ribbons as nature unwraps its majestic present.
Her branches, stretching out
holding homes for many.
Wonderful,
providing us with so much
and yet
we kill them
for useless things only wanted because of our own greed.
This beauty has to be preserved,
we all have to plead for it
and be as brave as this queen.