Unfulfilled

Unfulfilled

Can a tree feel
unfulfilled. Is life

enough for it, meals
of light, carbon dioxide,

and rain. Don’t people
in love eat like this,

fluttery light of a candle,
small tabletop. A kiss

must be at least 2%
CO2. As trees grow up,

is there disappointment
or pride in how they adjust

to the land, how they reach
or how they handle fire.

Does each White Ash seek
the same stature as some admired,

perfect White Ash, the model
Ash for every Ash in the park.

Energy, and what else is bottled
in the trunk, buried under bark.