BENEATH THE GLOWING TREE

as I sat beneath the glowing tree,
glowing like an iridescent algae bloom
on some exotic untouched beachfront
I noticed the sky was a brilliant red in spots
a raging fire against the horizon
casting a thin burning outline of the tree's edge

everything else was as black as the vacuum of space
so I sat wondering…
how many taps of a paintbrush it took
to blacken this canvas called the universe
I sat wondering if this lone tree
had been placed here just for me to rest my head
so I might fill in the spaces of untouched blackness
pondering each brush stroke carefully
the perfect blending of colors
a clutter of trees beside me
wildflowers splashed in the distance
the birds, hundreds of them in as many colors
floating through space
darting in and out of the fields
and above my head
but then I stopped thinking such foolish thoughts
because what came of my dreams,
no matter how vivid
would do no justice to what was actually in front of me
beneath the glowing tree