When I go for a walk in the park,
I notice the blooming trees along the
street.
I take out my phone and photograph the
blooms.
There is a Japanese maple tree in front of my neighbor’s
house down the street.
It’s rather unique,
And I am fascinated by this perfect creation of Mother
Nature.
I stop in front of the house and take a few pictures of
the tree.
My neighbor sees me from her house, and she gets
out.
She encourages me to approach the tree and take closer
pictures from her driveway.
I gather she is used to the attention that her precious
Japanese maple tree is getting,
It’s the only one in our neighborhood.
I thank my neighbor for her kind gesture,
And don’t hesitate to come closer to the
tree.
It is indeed special.
I gently touch the delicate red leaves; they feel like
velvet.
Legend has it that the Japanese maple tree brings good
fortune to the household where it grows.
It can reflect and absorb the happiness and the sadness
of the people who live in the house.
When the members of the household are
happy,
The red leaves of the tree are full of life and velvety
rich.
When the family is struck by sadness,
The tree leaves are crying in pain.
Today, when I notice the tree,
Its leaves are full and velvety rich.
The tree looks happy,
And the family who lives in this house must be happy
too.
How can you not be happy when such a marvel of nature
brings you joy every single time you look outside the
window?
And it brings you so much contentment that you want to
share it with your neighbors.
Legend has it that the Japanese maple three brings good
fortune to the household where it grows,
And this good fortune goes both ways.
The tree with the velvety red leaves brings joy to the
family that takes care of it,
And in return the family lets the tree absorb their
happiness,
A nourishing balm for the velvety red
leaves.
~~~~~~~~~~
From my book of poetry Sunset in Toronto (2021),
page 154.
