"The View from the Mesquite Tree"

 Hammon Poetry Month, Day 2

*"The View from the Mesquite Tree"

At seven, I climbed

the mesquite tree
in our backyard, thinking
I could rise above
the flat of Texas
and see further
than I had ever seen.

I climbed, a bit reticent,
yet feeling strong enough,
and knowing, thankfully,
my brothers had nailed boards
high up in tree
where I could sit
and stare beyond
what I knew to be.

Soon, I sat stoically
on those old boards,
hands around knees,
looked across the span
and opened my eyes wide,
finally able to see
across the world and beyond.

Now, steeped in my unfailing belief
in God, I have unobstructed views
of the Plan of Mercy,
His plan for me and you,
and the sacred view
of the sealing power,
that binds families forever—

simply and magnificently launched
when I was seven,
in a south Texas backyard,
ascending and elevating myself,
handhold after handhold,
up that old mesquite tree,
stopping just once or twice
to rest until I reached
my brothers’ handiwork
only to realize
that it was God’s handiwork
that I really craved.

*Inspired by a story told by Sister Nancy Roney 

during a Sunset Stake Conference, Provo, Utah, January 11, 2025