changing of the guard

trees...

Changing of the Guard

The oaks and aspens...
maples and mulberry...
Snagbark Hickory and sycamores...
all ilk of leafy tree
rue their deciduosity
as fall breathes its last gasp
and defers to winters
icy demeanor...
they shed their leaves en  masse
while Loblolly, Pitch, and Virginia Pines,
Red Spruce...
cedars and hemlocks
accept the proffered baton
to bask in late autumn's glow...
and thrive in winter's
low-lying light...
proud to boast their ever-greenery
their heyday now...
their season to celebrate
their sylvan constancy...
tried and true...
no flash or dash
or ups or downs...
no blaze of glory before
winters penury...
just dependable to hold their ground
through winter bleak
till spring
when lengthening days
make woodlands stir
in winters wake...
the dormant stretch and yawn
their sap runs strong
and burgeoning buds
on branches bare
herald the
changing of the guard