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Here is a tree older than the forest itself;

The years of its life defy reckoning.

Its roots have seen the upheavals of hill and valley,

Its leaves have known the changes of wind and frost.

The world laughs at its shoddy exterior

And cares nothing for the fine grain of the wood inside.

Stripped free of flesh and hide,

All that remains is the core of truth.

—Cold Mountain 🏔