Two Oaks

Two Oak trees stand side by side
unique, amidst a dense forest of pine.
growing straight towards the sky
one millennium into the next.
Their branches brush one another
over and under, in countless positions
when a breeze stirs the air.
Blustery winds cause the crowns to bow in respect
or away in distdain
depending on the force of the gale.
The soil at the base of these trees
is fertile from leaves of experience
rotting where they fell.
Creating a rich truffle-ripe humus
black loamy nuggets of gold.
Under the earth, in a dark secret place
the roots of these Oaks have grown tangled
gnarled and twisted, drawing the same food from the ground
impossible to distinguish one from the other
Any attempt to untangle the mesh
and both trunks would quietly die
without anyone knowing the reason