GRAY HAIR

Scott J. DaDante

 

I woke up today

As I opened my eyes

I got up and out of bed

Took a deep breath while I stretched out my arms

I shook out the nights dust from my eyes

As I locked out my legs to stretch for the day I touched to ground beneath me

My eyes focused in on a single falling hair which has suddenly left my head.

I watched it slowly fall to the ground

Its movement was slow and seemed to take it's time before reaching the earth below

I picked it up and rose back up into a standing position

My eyesight was completely focused in on this single hair

The single strand of hair was gray

My thoughts were over taken with a simple question...

This gray hair which has left my once full and thick mane

Must represent that time has set in and I must be getting old?

I paused for a second

To then slowly lose focus on the single hair in hand

To a behind window which shared the same view

Out the window stood a tree in my yard

And at this time its leaves had all fallen from its branches

Just two months ago this tree stood full and proud

Yet today it looks thin and weak

I thought of this tree and how it related to me

I realized that even though the tree that stands before me resembles a current lifeless state

So too will it once again blossom and stand strong

It represents life itself by supporting its surrounding environment

It will always have purpose as long as it can produce precious oxygen related to life itself

I too can breathe and that is proof in life, I grow and have purpose

Each year the tree grows larger and spreads wider and sets roots deeper

In a way it recreates itself each passing year regardless of its age

I stood back and asked myself - what will I create today?

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