Just as it keeps a tree firmly ground
So too, does the man have a base to grow
The privilege of having a mound
A family history and loved ones to know
…But when do roots become chains?

When does the boy from his hometown
Feel that he must constantly owe
The people that he carries ‘round
In a constant, never-ending tow
Dreams falling apart, and yet he must remain.

His eyes, all they can do is tease
As his branches reach to the limitless sky
Grasping, yet without ability to please
His potential having become a lie
To artificially expand what little he can lay claim.

And even with his gnarled chains, his fight is renewed
Through a seed, with desires of its own
But the roots, the chains, they are quite shrewd
As they renew the cycle, and the seed had not known
Despite its growth and promise, the chains again are lain.