When walking
my long driveway
I often pause to
view a special tree
and the leafy vine
encircling the trunk as
it spirals skyward.
From afar they are as one.
But up close there
are separate roots.
The tree stands
with sturdiness
endowed by decades of growth.
The vine, a newcomer,
thin yet robust,
ascends serpiginously
with DNA grace.
In spring the two
bloom side by side.
In autumn their
leaves turn gold
together as if
responding to a common cue.
Throughout the year
they remain
wrapped in embrace.
Much like future and past,
they’ve learned the secret
of living together.
December, 2011