I wonder now, I ask of me What tales would come from that old tree I visit now and then, just so I remember it Sitting with that sturdy edifice on the edge of cliff I breathe in the spirit of your visage With all that you've given, I'm carved in your image You make a light of life it's like you're omnipotent Your altruism is all too true, isn't it? I took the pilgrimage through deciduous prisons Witnessing transitions from viridian to crimson Listening to their whistles, unconvinced of their religions Because none of them were gifted with your seasoned wisdom You're my Elder Alder, my Old Oak You're my Papa Trunk, you're my Grandfather Grove I keep growing in the shadow of your hand-me-down fruits Your shade leaves a tattoo on the grassroots You're my You're my Elder Alder, my Old Oak You're my Papa Trunk, you're my Grandfather Grove I keep growing in the shadow of your hand-me-down fruits Your shade leaves a tattoo on the grassroots I stay true To the views you imbued No matter how many rings our family jumps through We are glued by your bonds of immovable comfort And make models from your solemn kind of humble A famous modesty Based upon equality Many think they're smart But you've aged into honesty Vibrant with love even though you're gray follicly Slowed by your bones but your brain is an odyssey You're a sanctuary, you're my stasis Fully free of charge, I need no invitation You made your namesake such a rich cultivation And laid an oasis for my generation Now I know that there's hope for us still A brighter side of life we'll see when we get over the hill Won't be awoken until We finish living for thrill And see it juxtaposed by how you're living slow and so still A vision fit for a kaleidoscope that's sowed with your skill A magic touch like you could grow a four leaf clover at will One in a million so I swear I'll write a poem to fill The space you made until it's etched with every quote you instilled That's why you hold on That's why you keep giving To the ends of the earth, to see that you've finished your mission Branching out Just far enough to stitch your kin with close knitting While surveying other family trees that rather gone fishin' Your vision's less than perfection, so if you're left second guessing Trust me, you won't need a river just to see your reflection It's in every leaf, sprout, every ounce of your resin Is simply residue of life worth living You're my Elder Alder, my Old Oak You're my Papa Trunk, you're my Grandfather Grove I keep growing in the shadow of your hand-me-down fruits Your shade leaves a tattoo on the grassroots I said You're my Elder Alder, my Old Oak You're my Papa Trunk, you're my Grandfather Grove I keep growing in the shadow of your hand-me-down fruits Your shade leaves a tattoo on the grassroots