Poeming: Just Beneath These Leaves

JUST BENEATH THESE LEAVES



The poplar tree that grew much faster than

we expected it to, also incredibly tall and wide

(though we DID ask the man at the nursery what

would quickly fill the empty space left when

our elegant walnut tree went roots up and

breathed its last crop of nuts for the squirrels

to steal) and that has lifted the paving stones

put in place over three summers at the

expense of my back and tediously laid flat,

and is now working to put the garden retaining

wall’s nose out of joint not to mention I trip

every time I walk outside (over the tilting stones)

and its large healthy branches are hanging

over the roof, spitting leaves into the gutters


but


just beneath these leaves

just beneath these branches,

separated from the constant

flow of reality I sit on the

upstairs balcony, and I am

young, listening to the leaves

rustle and sigh around

my treehouse.



jle 2012 Written for the Poetic Asides poetry prompt of "Just Beneath____"
i love my tree, really i do, but like most of us it has its good and its bad.....