I see you sitting there,
your back supported by a spreading maple tree
and your knees pulled up to yourself.
The sunlight shining through the leaves above you
makes patterns of light and shade on your face,
changing constantly as the leaves stir in the wind.
When you first sat,
your eyes played over the scenery around you,
soaking up the greens and browns of the earth
along with the brighter purple of the occasional wildflower,
but now your eyes have settled
unseeing and unmoving on the horizon -
a sure sign that your thoughts have turned inward.
I wonder what is going through your mind.
Maybe you think of me as you sit there,
wondering who I am and what I'm like.
Are you dreaming of what the future holds for you?
I see a hint of a smile at the corners of your mouth.
I wonder what memory brings that smile.
My hand is in the warm breeze
as it pulls a wisp of your hair out of place.
I like how it accentuates the lines of your face.
The tickle of the stray hairs on your cheek
brings you out of your reverie,
and as your daydream fades
you stretch your legs and your arms -
sore, no doubt, from being in one position for so long.
You tilt your head back against the trunk of the tree,
eyes closed and lips slightly parted.
My own lips are in the rays of sunlight
that kiss your brow and upturned face.
My voice is in the rustling leaves above you.
Although you don't know who I am
and I don't know who you are,
someday I will find you
and someday I will love you.
You can't hear or understand my voice in the leaves,
but your heart hears and your heart understands,
and as you stand to leave the maple tree,
you are pleasantly content.
-J.R. Willett