Life Under Trees

I'm curled in a bright yellow knit hammock, listing gently in the breeze. The dog restlessly paces the yard, whining softly at sounds and smells. Something has caught his attention but, in his old age, he seems to struggle to hear and see it clearly. He lies down on the warm cement just a few feet away and watches me, first intently and then blankly. The tree is green, spreading its branches and leaves overhead like a shelter. The sunlight dances across the very tops of the flowers which span the grey worn fence. It lights the topmost leaves of the tree. The rest have already become a cold green, bowing to early night. The leaves spread across the branches, across the sky. They are most spectacular. So simple. So beautiful. Protective. Like a shawl thrown gently across my shoulders.