The Silent Witness

​Storms may rage and branches break, Yet silently it stands, for others' sake. It bears the scorching heat, the freezing rain, Hiding within its bark a lifetime of pain. ​Like a soul that suffers but chooses to smile, It walks through sorrows, mile after mile. It never complains, it seeks no fight, Giving only shade, comfort, and light. ​But snap its roots or scar its heart, And watch its peaceful world fall apart. For even the gentlest soul will break, When pushed too far for patience' sake.