A man and a woman came together,

and their relationship took the form of a little sapling.

At first, the couple held the sapling delicately in their hands,

marveling at their wonderful creation.

How new!
How fresh!
How beautiful!

They spoke to each other of the care they would give the tree to be—

how they would give it light and water,

          space to grow strong and sturdy,

                    and how they would come together to love and nurture it.

Then, one day, something curious happened.

They found their sapling wilted and clearly dying.

So they plucked it easily from the earth with tear streaked faces,

for it had barely formed any roots at all.

They threw it in the fire and watched it turn to dust.

Gazing at the tiny opening in the earth,

where the sapling had been so carefully planted,

          they wondered what to blame.

Was the soil not fertile?
Was it too crowded?
Was it neglected?

Puzzled, the man and woman went their separate ways,

leaving behind the small, deep void,

          where once stood the promise of a sturdy oak.

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Editor: Rachel Nussbaum

Photo: Gregor Grega/Piccolo