From nothing
bare Catalpa branches
summon leaves to push forward
from an unseen place inside.
The tree flowers in late spring
after leafing —
an unfailing spectacle producing awe
in my spirit every year.
Lush green
leaves shade me
and a glass of iced tea
every summer.
Only last week
the yellowing leaves
captivated me through a window.
Today they’re gone.
Bare branches now relent —
sunlight pouring in
without a buffer.
The tree does it again
and again.
A lesson from leaves
that I too can do the same.
