Prevailing – a poem by Grant Shimmin

Prevailing 

Tell me, tree, of the wild easterly wind
that scythes up the valley floor towards you
bends you away from its in-your-face blast
freezes you in a state of perpetual flight

Tell me how they speak of it in these parts;
the hushed tones they use to call it prevailing 
Despite its worst efforts, I see you still standing 
It’s clear to me that something is prevailing here

Grant Shimmin is a South African-born poet who has lived in New Zealand since 2001. His passions are words, humanity, justice, the natural world. He has work published in more than 30 journals worldwide.