what is it like
to be of an ancient,
unbroken lineage?
to have made it 
so long through
the courses
and trials of 
time?

ginkgo stretches
his unbranched
arms out,
reaching across
space,
pointing me 
in all directions —

see,
this is what 
we came for.

this is what
we have remained for.

you may learn
to remain too,

but for that
you need to understand
humility.

the nitty gritty:

Ginkgo trees extend as far back as 270 million years in the fossil record, and thus they have lived in relation to the changing earth and its creatures for at least 675 times longer than humans have. They are dioecious, having separate male and female trees, hence the use of “he.” There is a pressing need to learn to live in balance with the Earth and with life, as we are likely reaching or possibly surpassing the Earth’s capacity to buffer our short-sighted human decisions and their effects. Awareness is the first step.