I have A Difficult Tree

I wonder about the tree at the end of my block

It seems like its been a month or more

Since it lost its leaves and

I don’t remember much in the way of

Yellow

Red or

Orange

Before the branches went bare or

Mostly bare

A few leaves still cling in the upper reaches and

Are still green

Although more lime than kelly or forest and

A bit bedraggled

More Cleveland than Pittsburgh but

Not quite Detroit and

Without bankruptcy or angry creditors

Who knows how long they can hang on

I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes new leaves next Spring to push them out

The tree seems to be in active denial

As long as on leaf still hangs on

No matter how empty the branch

The long winter has not set in and

Rebirth is not necessary

I wonder if it were a boy

Whether it would eat its vegetables