The deciduous tree 
does not appear 
as it once stood
just one month ago.
Its outstretched arms are glowing
against the backdrop 
of the deep blue sky.
Splotchy green
with yellow or browned edges.

Yet the mighty maple
is just the sum of its 
many tiny parts.
The branch reaches toward the sky
on its solid trunk.
A resting place for tiny buds
that blossomed and burst
into a big bold green.
Seeds descended and dispersed.
And now we get to see 
the leaves’ true colors.

The deciduous tree
does not get to choose when
it’s time to blossom or seed.
It is synched to the 
rhythm of nature
beyond our concept 
of time.

The seasons connect me
and ground me
in a world that always
seems to be spinning faster
and faster,
Almost off-kilter
Off balance.

As the cycle of the season begins
I’m suddenly reminded 
of the color,
the beauty,
the cycles of nature
that surround me.
Always there.
A constant reminder that
I, too, am a child of nature
and connected to
the timeless rhythms 
that surround me.