Drawing up the Irish family tree
I stumble across branches, twigs
Unexpected thorns
The woody trunk has grown two metres or more in height
Branches emerging well above ground level
We are deciduous - every winter we regenerate
Coming in the 1600s from southern Europe
An introduced species into Ireland,
Naturalized in many places
We tolerate sea spray and wild wet nights
Scattering our seed across the stony bogland

The older branches reach out, crooked
Crippled with arthritic pain
Knobbed, scrunched up hanging on to life
Worn down by years of children's climbing feet
Of swinging ropes with tyres attached
Fresh buds appeared and grew one I knew
Developing majestically and then and then
Struck down with lichen
We all have our hangers on, our parasitic growths, lumps and cysts to be diagnosed
Mechanical teeth trim the diseased parts, tidy up the storm damage

Families split, branches extended beyond their normal reach
Cut off, lowered to earth
Bent over with weight and wear
Firewood, or some boy's toy sword
Branches bearing fruit, uncovered, fresh growth
Splurges of excitement shake though the leaves carry the news of impending life
Sucking up the goodness of the earth
To make the tough white timber of the next generation
Brown bark of its trunk and its long, whip-like twigs
Diamond-shaped pale green leaves turn golden-brown in autumn, facing another winter