Like an Old Oak

Like this old oak,

I watch people,

and their lives quietly unfold.

It was a community

where many families came to live

with dream-filled eyes.

But life gave surprises,

as it always does.

Family 1:

Man got can cancer diagnosis,

kid dropped out from college,

they sold house, moved away.

Family 2:

Old parents got sick,

over care cost,

inheritance, responsibility,

this family moved to apartment.

Family 3:

Marital issue reared ugly head,

divorce came inevitably,

family split, selling house.

We can plan as much as we like,

what trajectory, life will follow,

is not in our control,

that's what I learned.