Quercus Agrifolia

by krys123

This serendipitous skylark echoes errorless tunes
in the haze of the moonlight, that bounces
off the glittering lake bed.
The soft waves
tickle the shoreline with pulsating ripples,
gurgling on the shore.
Now and then, and suddenly,
one hears the infrequent splash
of a brown trout Image result for Silhouette+picture+of+a+fish+jumping

Image result for Silhouette+picture+of+a+fish+jumping

snapping at a vibrating moth as it flaps its wings in the water.
Echoing in the distance are the croaks
of bullfrogs sounding their mating calls
and then slipping into the water with a slight splash.
Gently the wind combs through the treetops
and brushes any dangling moss
that's caught between the limbs.
Most commoners call this moss "Angel Hair",
but, in reality, it is Spanish moss Image result for Silhouette+picture+of+a+spanish+moss

Image result for Silhouette+picture+of+a+spanish+moss

that hangs from the dying Live Oaks.
One sees the top of the oak tree in decay, but
the root system is three to five times larger
than what you see above the surface. So below,
the Live Oak is very much alive.
Alive, to resurface in some other area
and sometimes it surfaces as a scrub bush
or scrub oak. Image result for Silhouette+picture+of+a+squirrel+in+an+oak+tree

Image result for Silhouette+picture+of+a+squirrel+in+an+oak+tree

Hidden in the crevices of the Live Oak
with its multiple holes in its bark there
are many furry and feathered mammals and birds
preening and cuddling warm inside the degraded oak.
There they lie listening to the crunching sounds
of busy termites rearranging the internal structure
of the Live Oak as it's being eaten from the inside out.
This Live Oak is alive with insects Image result for Silhouette+picture+of+termites+in+an+oak+tree

Image result for Silhouette+picture+of+termites+in+an+oak+tree

and an all too common cornucopia
of an insect dining cart for aerial feathered flyers.
Their voracious appetite
and pointed beaks rivet the live oak
with rings of holes around the tree.
These, particularly red ringed woodpeckers, with the red
cap on their heads, pepper the tree
meticulously. Image result for Silhouette+picture+of+a+woodpecker+in+an+oak+tree

Image result for Silhouette+picture+of+a+woodpecker+in+an+oak+tree

Next to the lake and final resting place, this Live Oak,
retires for the next hundred or so years
with many generations of aerial acrobats,
magnificent mammals
and the miniature massive multitude
of the insect kingdom.
The energy created by this tree
and the waste that it produces
sustains an environment Image result for Silhouette+picture+of+termites+in+an+oak+tree

that will last for hundreds of years
or until acorns reproduce for another millennium.

Free Verse Poetry Contest contest entry

Picture courtesy of pinterest.com
I had the honor and privilege to work as a propagationist for Asilomar State Beach of California for two years. One of the hardest to grow was the live oak tree or Quercus Agrifolia. They are one of the only trees that outlive most all the indigenous trees in the area of central California coastal area.

Relaxing Harp Music: Sleep Music, Meditation Music, Spa Music, Study Music, Instrumental MusicÃ???Ã??Ã?Â¢??49
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TO_oHxuk6c)
The small silhouette pictures are from http://www.bing.assort/animals.com
Thank you
&
Happy New Year

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