Jonathan Pratt
The Timber Man
I am an old man,
Just a very old man.
Most often you will see me
sitting
All alone,
Because it hurts to
stand up
On my own.
But once
I
was a young man,
I was a very young man.
As tall and strong as the
greatest redwood tree
And that’s the way I
thought I’d always be.
But
Time came at me like a
Timber Man.
With a sharpened blade He
came at me with an
Axe in hand.
And with each swing Began
to
Chop me down.
With a sneering grin he’d
Drop me
To the ground.
With each shear he Brought
me
To my knees
I cried from the pain
And agony
But through the forest
no one
Heard my cries.
The night winds hushed
every
Single plea.
And then
Tormenting rains and winds
came
Rolling in.
And every winter froze me
to the core.
My whole body aching
More and more
My branches cracked and
swayed o’er and
Over again.
Sometimes the aching Trunk
would
turn and bend,
Never to stand the
same way ever again.
And all the time with every
storm that Came
I did my best to keep my
Family safe
Like fruit on branches
Precious,
ripe and round,
Kept them from falling
to the
Cold hard ground.
Til finally time took its
Toll on me.
I learned that even a great
redwood tree
Could not withstand
The ever present
Timber man
He called on weather, ice
and winds on me.
He will persist until he
falls the tree.
I am an old man, I’m
A very old man.
Most often you will see
sitting
All alone.
Because it hurts to stand
up
On my own.
From these old branches now
You’ll truly see
New seed has taken ground
And planted trees.
But soon the Timber Man
will
Come around
Ready to do his best to
Chop them down.
And they will wrestle with
him
Just like me.
Until they’re just another
Fallen tree.
I am an old man, yes
A very old man.
I know now time is not
A trusted friend.
The Timber Man time sent
Will come again
He won’t stop chopping
Til the very end.
I am an old man,
I’m a very old man
Soon I will see my days
come
To an end.
But God will take me up
When I am no more,
And through Him He will
Even the score.
As winter ends, as always,
Spring succeeds.
New life is promised
Through our Lord and King.
And we shall live with Him
Eternally.
From this broken body
I will be set free.
