Under the quiet, gentle, delicate leaves of autumn, sat I
Under the endless blue sky, sat I
Under the protecting, sheltering hands of the tree, sat I
Beside the calm, serene, tranquil river, sat I
Sat I there, listening to the rustling leaves and feeling the blowing breeze
Sat I there, on my mother’s lap surrounded by her warm, loving hands
Sat I there, listening to her tender voice as she read
Sat we there, together

I love listening to her read the big, black book in her hand.
She read, “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper…” and
She said: “Always be like a tree that guards, protects, provides and shelters.”
I never understood what she said, yet
Everyday under the same leaves, the same sky, the same tree and beside the same river, sat I
Sat I there, with her as she taught me to be like a tree.
But then came that dreadful day and I never sat with her there and
Never sat we there, together.

Years went by and I finally returned to the same tree, the same sky and the same river and again,
Under the quiet, gentle, delicate leaves of autumn, sat I
Under the endless, blue sky, sat I
Under the protecting, sheltering hands of the tree, sat I
Beside the calm, serene, tranquil river, sat I
Sat I there, listening to the rustling leaves and feeling the blowing breeze
Sat I there, understanding what my mother had said
Sat I there, under the hands of my mother
Sat we there, together.