The Juniper

when we moved here it was so tiny now it spreads and spreads up to the window covering streets houses, blocking out light yet somehow our rooms are bright

growing sideways artful hardy protecting us from others' eyes and driveways, cars guarding our windows

once tiny like our neighbours' children who once visited grew into teenagers too old to come

or like we and our neighbours growing grey unchanged within we just look out at stiffer limbs

we cut and cut the Juniper but it keeps on spreading blocking light yet the room stays bright