“The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.”
Around the time
of the Giza pyramids
a bristlecone pine
was finding its footing
on the high climes
of the eastern Sierras,
setting its sights
on living forever,
its resin-packed dense wood
impervious to pest
and adverse weather.
Having survived
the millenia test
without ostentation,
it may well yet
achieve its desire
and pass through fire
to the new creation.