Giant Sequoia

The 

300 foot giant looms 

black against the night sky.  

4,000 years old, its needle 

like scales 1/6 of an inch long 

wave in the night breeze.  The trunk,

  grey-green at the base, deep green 

above, blend with the other branches.  

The little pink and yellow flowers 

like stars make way for the cones to 

come.  The mini football like cones

with diamond  scales cling tightly to the 

branches.  Soft, thick, red bark, 20 inches thick 

in the oldest trees 

climbs to 

the very top.