APR 9, 2025.. THE OAK TREE .. by JOHNNY RAY RYDER JR.

A friend of ours here in Lake Havasu City, recently sent the below poem to us. At first the Poem really made us think of one special friend. Then of another friend. Then we saw what a phenomenal poem it is!

So I Googled Johnny Ray Ryder Jr.

Notice in the above “Screenshot” it says: Poem “The Oak Tree” by Johnny Ray Ryder.

And it is titled The Sisterhood of Widows (We grieve and Heal Together). This website is quite a profound website for grieving Widows. But it says nothing about The Oak Tree poem.

https://sisterhoodofwidows.com/

Comments on the above website date back to September 14, 2017. The most recent comment is dated March 17, 2025.

Then I went further and  I came upon the below..

The below link IS ALL ABOUT THE POEM..

https://lifeism.co/the-oak-tree-poem#about-the-poet

And now.. The Poem..

– – – – – – – –

The Oak Tree

A mighty wind blew night and day.

It stole the Oak Tree’s leaves away.

Then snapped it’s boughs

and pulled its bark

until the Oak was tired and stark.

But still the oak held its ground while other trees fell all around.

The weary wind gave up and spoke,

“How can you still be standing, Oak?”

The Oak Tree said, “I know that you

can break each branch of mine in two,

carry every leaf away,

shake my limbs, and make me sway.

But I have roots stretched in the earth,

growing stronger since my birth.

You’ll never touch them, for you see,

they are the deepest part of me.

Until today, I wasn’t sure

of just how much I could endure.

But now I’ve found, with thanks to you,

I’m stronger than I ever knew.

Johnny Ray Ryder Jr.

– – – – – – – –

Whewie!

Cap and Patti

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