spoke out-loud my longing; 
please let me see-- 
then sharpened my eyes to observe
below the cloaked surface,

a thing so undervalued captured my attention
take, for instance, the average forest tree 
stretching up of many, uncounted - able to touch
the blue sky, taken for granted by familiar eyes, 
but I saw it there in its rooted place, 
unique-- that one,

it's true, just one of many & I hugged it, 
deserving an honor far larger 
than its neglected function, I fixated
& examined its rough bark, its dead branch--
articulating a legend of lightning untold, 
I took it in, the odor
knotty bold & aged-earth- 

sapient from the severe 
changes of Northeastern Ohio, 
a lonesome sugar Maple tree, untapped - 
carved with yarns & tales most cannot learn 
because they've never taken the time 
--just to be-- to be--
at the root-level tutelage of a tree