A Tree

Who knows what forces
combined together to
make this tree
mean something profound
and utterly life-affirming

Must have been that strong trunk.
those green leaves
and the root structure

Which reminded me of
Buddhism
Cubism
and Parasitism

Must have been the black soil.
the way the wind
rustles the leaves
the shade it provides

That reminded me of
infant mortality
morbid obesity
and varicose veins

Must have been the luscious fruit.
The seed pit patterns
and their numeric significance

That remind me of
the placebo effect
the lone bullet theory
and the atomic weight of zinc

or maybe

maybe,

it’s just a tree.