The trees by the river stand naked now,

striped of their party clothes,

 leaning slightly toward the river,

 a bit embarrassed, it seems,

 at the sudden exposure of

each broken limb and misshapen trunk;

but joyful, too,

their gently dancing branches sing,

 happy to be free of their burdens,

 happy to be, again,

who they truly are.

We will all stand like this,

our pretentions stripped away,

nothing left but what we are

after the seasons have shaped us.

We’ll all be gathered there together,

 humbled and free,

leaning gently toward one another

 and toward the river 

 that flows by the throne of God.

-- Mike Coburn, priest-in-charge