A Banyan Allegory

He drifted from isle to isle,
A seed without grounding,
Caught endlessly in currents,
Wanting only to settle.

Find purchase.

A sudden change,
Life's option to live,
Freedom to branch,
To seek roots,
To create an umbrella of protection,
Even as existence would have to weather many storms. 

The birth brought
Unknown roots to flourish. 

Upward they grew,
Success seeming inexorable,
Nourishment seemed coming from on high,
Even as winds bent sprouting’s lift,
Its inherent longing to procreate prevailed,
Cyclic-origin remained its unique heritage.

True to its identity,
Lineage grew,
Its upward thrust respecting ancestral integrity

Battling forces challenged its weathered exposure,
Yet, holding firm, Banyan stood its ground,

Willing to die if necessary.

A billowing umbrella of knowledge,
A festive growth of yin and yang
Enjoined the celebration of endurance,
Embracing the accomplishment,
In the coolant of shade,
The warmth of parting branches.

Man had much to learn.