My Neighbor's Tree

In the yard across the way there stands a young delightful maple tree. Oh in the hot summer......when the hot breeze blows, I watch it as it sway it's green whipfull leaves, blowing with the breeze to an ultimate degree. If the spring winds are harsh then it bends it's limbs limberly over toward the ground. When the winds are mild it just waves it's branches to me cheerfully. As if it's waving to say. "The weather is fair today." The ground around it, uprooted, uneaven and even rather bumpy and clumpy. The condeming of the burnt house that near it once stood, as it left its broad scars upon the scortched land. It now leans a bit away from where the house once stood, as it seemed to cry when that house burt that day some years ago, but it lingers growing still strong and tall today. It has not yet lost it's leaves, even with the strongest evil breeze this year. It still grasps it's leaves tight to it's branches For it is now February and still holds its many crisp brown leaves. Why have they not fallen off, as all the other trees? It is much stronger and laughs at the winter saying." You are not harsh enough for me." The snow rests on its branches today as the cold winds blow. It seems so odd to see a tree with leaves covered in snow. But the white blanket of snow rests snuggly upon the leaves, as it does to its strong branches. This tree, it is my nearby friend when I am alone, as I gaze over the lawn at it from my window. Yes, it even in the strongest cold breeze, sometimes waves at me..... but still now nare a leaf has fallen to the ground from its many limbs. It seems to me so strange and odd the leaves have not yet fallen. Even in that, as a close friend would, gives me challenge to wander, why? Linda Terrell February 15, 2010 This is a fiction story but I do have this unusual tree in my neighbors yard. It holds tightly to it's own dry brown crisp leaves still in the dead of winter.