I climb further out upon the branches
and I pass the empty face of a man I never knew
a man my mother never liked to talk about
and I ignore his cold, dark stare as I wonder,
did he plant this horrible tree himself
and still I climb
one more sip...
one more sip. .

these twisted branches have begun to wrap around me
guiding me to what seems to be a limb of my very own
it branches off from my mother's limb
and there she is
sitting comfortably on her branch
so happy to see me
motioning me with her wine
and so I climb into my place
just as everyone expected
one more sip .
one more sip...

someday I know
I will climb down this tree
and jump far from its roots
and plant a seed of my own
one that grows strong
but until then,
just one more sip..
one more sip...