but you know what a tree is

you know that what you think of a tree has no bearing on

what it is

and you don’t love only one of its leaves

you never differentiate its leaves

or do you?

have you ever looked at a tree

then decided on its most precious leaf?

i haven’t

but i tried once, just to see if it could be done

as it turned out

one leaf made me aware of the others

and the branches they radiated from

which inevitably led my focus to the trunk

sitting atop roots unseen to me but presumably circulating below that Brooklyn pavement

i was helpless to make love subjective

that’s why i love you all