Around this time last year, I posted photos of this london plane tree. I didn't know its name or even recognise it as a particular species - it was just my beloved tree which had always been there, as long as I can remember.
I had visited in July to observe what had occurred since spring - the foliage was in it's prime and the bright red immature seed-heads had turned brown already. I didn't expect much to change before the next season, unfortunately I was mistaken.
It wasn't till I started participating in Donna's meme that I really noticed the details, how the seed clusters hung from their unbreakable stalks for over a year, the difference between generations undetectable, each hoping for a breeze to carry potential offspring to a patch of moist soil as far away as possible. I had never watched out for the leaves to turn yellow one by one before they fell to the ground into kickable heaps.
In July, a photo revealed that one branch was growing into another. I scanned the whole tree, but couldn't find any other interferences. This solitary incident was somewhat disturbing, but I didn't think too much about it at the time, convincing myself that it was normal for haphazard branches to thrust forth blindly and then snap off when stronger ones resisted.
My life before had been about getting things done, ticking off endless lists, not sparing time to absorb what surrounded me. However, the lists have been lost for a while now and all I have done since is look for signs : autumn leaves, the first primulas and small white butterflies.
... then I turned around and approached the older tree, the one in the depth of the park where I hadn't ventured before this year.
It pointed a branch like a crooked finger as if to tell me to look into myself, and raised its arm towards the future, while its bark showed me to face what life had in store.
or maybe it was telling me to ...
... be strong.
Today I'm linking up with Donna Abel's meme : Seasonal Celebrations
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