Branch Inclusions

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The lines on my face

match the rings in the trees

Marking time and space

tracking the trails of me

Telling the tales

and places we've been

Like a snake sheds its scales

revealing the secrets within

Marking our ages with wrinkles and lenticels

to ensure life through sure propagation

Reaching and growing like elongated tentacles

to strengthen our core and foundations

Telling our stories with fine lines and creases

traipsing through both happy and sad

Blended together, because that's what life is

beautiful journeys, like roots, that expand

Reading the lines to determine a life

where we've been and where we are growing

All just a part of nature's grand design

reaching into and beyond all knowing

Each line unique, a mapping of sorts

diving deeper than what's seen on the surface

Each one is nourished and preserved by its source

designed for its specific purpose

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A/N

Branch inclusions: Lines that show where a smaller branch was engulfed by the trunk as the tree grew around it.

Tree rings, these "lines" in a tree can refer to tree rings, which show its age and are formed by seasonal growth