The Last Leaf

About twenty yards away from the coast of Wright Patman Lake at the Atlanta State Park, there sits a single tree struggling to hold on to its last leaf before winter. At some point, this sad sap of a tree was full of life and full of leaves. Now, it is bare and trying to retain its last remains of the fertile spring.

This is all for the sake of survival. Winter conditions can be harsh for the tree. Even in Texas, temperatures drop, sunlight is sparse, and it becomes necessary to conserve energy to survive. This type of behavior isn't only found in trees. Certain animals hibernate. Others burrow. Humans take certain measures to survive in the winter as well. The heat comes on, and food gets stored up in case of emergency.

I waited for a while to see if the wind would finally take its last prize from the tree, but it did not. The leaf hung on. Maybe I should have done it a favor and taken the leaf for myself. It takes energy for the tree to push the leaf off of its branches, and it might be tired of providing for the stubborn leaf for all this extra time. Who could really know the mind of a Tree?

Don't worry, little tree. Soon, spring will return, and you will be fruitful once more.