Chileno Valley Road - Steve Trenam

[Lawrence Robinson]

Chileno Valley Road

Driving along Chileno Valley Road,
I pull over when I spot a Brahma bull
and a venerable old oak eyeing one another.

It’s a deeply rooted tree with a wide canopy,
who seems, as it leans towards the bull,
prepared for its advance.
But this two thousand pound knot of muscle
has no intention of uprooting the tree.

The bull tilts his head to the side and scrapes
it gently along rough bark, then takes 
a few steps to engage his broad back.
What I see is a bull scratching an itch,
but what of the tree?

A symbiotic relationship, the two having 
known each other for some time.
In shade granted by the benevolent oak,
the bull flattens tall grass
while beetles burrow into the loam
beneath their ponderous weight.

Driving along Chileno Valley Road,
I pull over when I spot a Brahma bull
and a venerable old oak eyeing one another.

It’s a deeply rooted tree with a wide canopy,
who seems, as it leans towards the bull,
prepared for its advance.
But this two thousand pound knot of muscle
has no intention of uprooting the tree.

The bull tilts his head to the side and scrapes
it gently along rough bark, then takes 
a few steps to engage his broad back.
What I see is a bull scratching an itch,
but what of the tree?

A symbiotic relationship, the two having 
known each other for some time.
In shade granted by the benevolent oak,
the bull flattens tall grass
while beetles burrow into the loam
beneath their ponderous weight.

	- Steve Trenam
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