the text is:
勁直凌霄節.傾斜帶雨枝
戊子初春 柳子谷
i've impression that it's an inscription of a painting. the painter asked mr 柳子谷 to write it. the time is 戊子年, 2008-60i (2008, 1948, . . .), 初春 is the first month of spring.
the painting would be about bamboo (竹).
節 means bamboo joint (竹節). the metaphor is:
bamboo --> nobleman (君子)
勁直 ~ strong and upright, straightly without branch
凌霄 ~ a bamboo grow upwards, towards the sky
at the same time, bamboo is also flexible, that in adverse situation, like downpour, cats and dogs (--> 帶雨), it can be bent (--> 傾斜), [枝] without breaking.
so, bamboo grow skywards straightly, with flexibility to bent in adverse situation.
--> nobleman (君子) always strive for good moral and behaviour, would make compromise, in case.