Ode to a - What?

On its side in the wide, white expanse
Some majestic entity of immeasurable immensity
Smote in its prime
My heart cracked, and tears pooled from fathoms unknown
As I consider the life
Of this thing of pure magnificence
Of the life it must have known
Wise beyond time
How it planted itself out in the garden, the gardens of eternity
Branches rooting down deep reaching cool tomb streams
Branches green-blue lifting to Heaven’s clouds
Innumerable sought its words, its blessings
Innumerable trod by unawares
Oblivious to the great green god-Thing which forked itself
At the crossroads of earth.
My heart heavy as I spied it, and I considered –

Criminal, in no small way, thought I, hesitant with knife in hand
Unsure of my approach.
Was I worthy (were any of us?) – Worthy of this gift, this living link
In the great big crazy old chain of Being?
Who am I to presume worthiness, for that matter and manner,
I, a slug, parasite on the world,
Asking – no! Commanding of this wondrous creation sustenance
To become me without changing me
To give to me and expect nothing in return
For nothing would be given in return.
For me to take, take, take, and only of that which I wanted
And not even I of conscious decision
This is the culmination of its being, this majestic being
Its sacrifice, pure, simple, senseless
Yet worth more than everything that ever existed before or since


[From a writing exercise ... "describe a piece of broccoli in as much detail as possible" ... did I pass or fail?]