Tree
by George Salazar

The tree stands strong and defiant,
Against the winter sky,
Stark and bare,
Alone in the cold.

The sun returns,
The earth warms,
New life slowly unfolds.
Vitality pulses through every limb.

Bright foliage victoriously abounds,
Verdant in abundance,
Full with rejoice.
Pride heralds from every branch.

Red, orange and gold in every hue,
Bursts upon the scene,
In riotous splendor that dazzles.
The world stands in awe.

Leaves depart singly and in crowds,
Without ceremony or adieu,
In a moment of silent finality the last leaf falls.
The cycle is complete.

The tree stands strong and defiant,
Against the winter sky.

Author's Note: I wrote “The Tree” in November of 2005. It won third place in the Summer 2009 Rapid River Magazine poetry contest. This poem was inspired by the memory of a maple tree outside my home in northern Vermont. Every year it went through this wonderful cycle and I always felt there was beauty in every phase of its re-creation from year to year.
I have been a Member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Asheville for about a year. In addition to writing I love to paint and always give my paintings away or donate them to charity.