The Oak and the Uprising

Deep roots remember longer
than concrete foundations —
this old oak witnessed hangings,
now shades our revolution

Through centuries of struggle
its branches sheltered rebels
its acorns fed the resistant
its leaves whispered secrets

Now we gather in its shadow
to plan tomorrow’s uprising
while squirrels cache our supplies
and ravens watch for cops

The oak knows patience:
how empires rise and fall
while seedlings push through ruins
and wild things endure

We hang our black flags
from its ancient limbs
next to prayer bundles
and ancestor offerings

Its bark holds memories:
slave revolts and strikes,
witch hunts and riots,
resistance never dying

Tonight we circle round
its massive trunk, chanting:
“As above, so below —
no gods, no masters, grow!”

The oak teaches survival:
bend but never break,
grow through the cracks,
turn poison into strength

We’re learning its wisdom:
how to root deep and rise,
how to weather the storms,
how to feed the community

Each acorn is a promise
Each leaf a prophecy
Each ring in its heart
A revolution’s memory

The old ones gather here:
dryads and anarchists,
pagans and militants,
planning tomorrow’s dawn

Until all trees are free
from ownership’s axe
Until all beings live wild
in tomorrow’s sacred grove

Let the oak’s strength fill us
Let its wisdom guide us
Let its roots connect us
To liberation’s soil