A tree matures and extends its roots and provides sturdy branches that welcome visitors. The tree is part of the urban forest and steadfastly sits amid the bustling traffic and constant construction, through rain, snow, and sunny days. A hawk swoops in and spends fifteen minutes on the tree eating a pigeon before casually observing the landscape and departing on its way. Two squirrels frolic in a game of chase and scurry across the tree en route to adjacent power lines. Ants find an inviting crevice and build a home. A crow builds a nest that it inhabits for seven weeks. The tree’s features align with the desires of the passersby and a mutual bond is formed at each particular time and place. Fleeting or enduring, the tree does not know. Fleeting or enduring, the passersby do not know. All they have is the present, real time. Hindsight is a luxury of the future.
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