Beauty in Their Dying
The trees
Are our teachers.
They sink roots
Into the earth
And gather nutrients
Giving them strength
To grow.
They send up shoots
To absorb sunshine
And air
To grow branches
And buds
Sprout leaves
And fruit.
They survive
Many seasons of life
Endure and thrive
Despite the changes
They remain
Faithful
And earnest
Pillars of the earth.
New leaves of spring
Neophyte green, tender
Erupt without fear
Or so it seems.
They reach for the warmth
From above
Sway freely
With the wind
And rain
Bringing life to the tree
Life to the world.
In the heat of summer
They cool the earth
Give spaces of rest
For living creatures
And beauty
Such beauty
They offer fruit
For nurturing
And creating life.
Then when the cool nights
Of autumn
Arrive
And the moon overtakes
The sun
In hours visible
The tree understands
The season of new life
Is waning
Time of rest approaches
Does it
Accept or
Merely acquiesce?
The leaves morph
Green fades
Into a coat
Of many colors
There is magnificence
In this
Their dying
Their colors shine out
Creating
Nature’s palette
Celebrating
The seasons of life
With the confetti
Of autumn.
Winter approaches
The leaves are in repose
Upon the earth
Rest beckons
The world
To pause
Dwell in the silence
Of snow
And know peace
In the long nights
Of winter.
Patricia O’Connor
October 1, 2026
