The nursery
half an hour from town
had landscape trees
thirty feet tall
I came looking for this small
persimmon tree

Four months later
she has grown a foot or more
branched out and stands there
fully clothed in late October

Proclaims herself
the ornament of our back yard
her pale green leaves
that with the cold
have turned to paler orange

The leaves, nearly translucent
standing out against the grey brick wall
seeming to glow with their own light
wings of an angel

And like an angel visitor
this little tree compels
my rapt attention
brings the soft light
of eternity into
our livingroom