Amanda Peacock's "Family Roots" uses a tree as a picture of someone growing up without knowing their father. The first stanza says the roots are "weak and small," yet the tree has grown "strong proud and tall" with a "big" and "red" heart. The person has made something sturdy from a shaky start, and the heart suggests warmth and love in spite of what is missing.
The second stanza turns more personal. The speaker wonders who the father is, calls him "the seed that made you grow," and admits the wish to see a face they have never known. That longing feels quiet but real. In the last stanza, leaves and branches fall as the years pass, but the tree still stands "brave and tall," unafraid.
The mood is hopeful and determined, with an undercurrent of sadness. The poem seems to say that not knowing where you come from hurts, but it doesn't have to decide who you become.