As he reflects on the splendor of this fall
he thinks of ones that went before, all the
predicted glory, all the touted colors that

were to be and, yes, there were glorious
days after great anticipation but then came
the rain and down came the leaves and out

came the damnable leaf blowers — until
this fall. This fall is different. The anticipated
glory came but it didn’t leave; it stayed and

stayed and stayed through the rains and
the winds and the chill of night. It is as
if the trees know that this fall is different,

that there is great suffering this fall, that
in the houses in the neighborhoods, in
the apartments in the cities, in the home-

less shelters people are suffering and
afraid and out of kindness and under-
standing and nature’s compassion, the

trees kept their gorgeous leaves for us
to embrace with our eyes and our hearts
are touched with the kindness of the trees.