Who needs oaks and sycamores
or even cedar trees
if you can have mysterious palms
shooting like rockets
right up out of just about any soil?

Don’t misunderstand my meaning
and assume I dislike
maples and sassafras and willows.
I especially like pines,
but a palm tree demands attention.

No matter how hard the wind blows
a palm stands humbly
allowing itself to be rudely whipped
and when it’s finished
the storm doesn’t get the last word.