Oh, how cruel a tree appears!
Shedding the leaves that cooked its food,
Shedding the leaves that gave it shade,
Shedding the leaves that bore its name,
Shedding the leaves--parts of itself!

Yet with a gentle simper, the tree whispers:
“Oh my people,
I shed these leaves not in malice, but in need.
For only in letting go
can I survive
and see a brighter tomorrow.”