Paul walked under a canopy of alders—
a thirty year restoration of a dry lightning burn.
He wondered if the earth saw the area
fire-voided trees as a scar
as part of the beauty of the earth being itself
or a surface matter of little consequence.
Animals repopulated the alders as to their liking.
Others remained away missing the old growth.
Paul admitted to no one present
that the shade was different. Cooling but different.
copyright © 2022 Kenneth P. Gurney
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