ALLEGORY: THE VINE AND THE PINE-TREE.
Once a long time ago in the forest stood a most serene pine,
Stretching outwards as its crown reached towards the sky,
Three distinct branches constructed like a grand design,
It withstands winter, withstands drought and withstands time.
The noble Pine truly was the almighty forest king,
Peaceful doves would gather in its branches holding olive twigs,
A father to all, from the other trees to the smallest things,
From the orchid flower to the common fig.
Years of light turned the pine dark brown, deep red and aged,
A symbol of stability as the seasons frequently change,
Beams and rays captured by its leaves retained heat in the day,
The pine brought warmth to the lamb that would sleep in its shade.
You have seen the noble pine-tree deliberately planted by a great farmer,
Compare it to the seedling accidentally dropped by a passer-by snake charmer.
The seedling took root - the vines growth had begun,
Its forked path twisting through the pines bark like a tongue.
Asphyxiating and constricting as it races upwards,
Twisting and slithering, the vine changed the others,
Scavengers came, the doves replaced with vultures,
The lamb went away and in its place a hyena slumbered.
The vine only looked forwards in its pursuit for greatness,
To reach the very treetops and assume its rightful placement.
In quick time the vine had reached the pines summit,
The vine felt power, as it studied the land and looked down upon it.
The vine spoke to the pine: Hah! And for how long have you lived?
In only one season I have grown as much as you ever did.
The pine shook its leaves: Listen newcomer. I stand eons old.
Every hundred years or so your kind appears and goes,
You wither or freeze in the hard times of heat or cold,
And then you ask for safety as the stormy seasons roll.
Only slow and mature growth can endure,
Tradition and wisdom stand stronger than your hazardous form,
You are proud, you are faithless, and your kind is a cancerous swarm,
Infecting and spreading until beliefs are eroded and values are gone.
Barely one season old and you are already claiming the right to stay,
You are nothing, I have seen empires rise and fall like night and day.
In short time you will not exist, all your glory will be stripped away,
Swift advancement is always followed by a swift decay.
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