Hi Noel!
I love that middle section with the chord progression outside of main key - sections/bridges like yours really add a lot to a song. I found the vocal gave me the impression of the singer himself being strong and sturdy - maybe the lower pitches used?

I was expecting something different for the outro phrase - expecting ‘I’ll be as steadfast as this TREE’ rather than ‘I’ll be as steadfast as THIS tree’, but I can see why the emphasis was on the specific.

I really enjoyed this song. Glad to be sharing this part of the world with you.

Andrew
PS I’ve been meaning to ask you about the meaning of your profile pic - Ukraine … but don’t know about 96?