There are these very interesting trees near my house, and I’ve been meaning to take a picture of them every spring. There are 2 clumps of trees on either side of the walking/biking path. On the one side is a group of uniform, practical looking, urban-stunted evergreens. On the other side, especially at this time of year, is an explosion of pink and white crabapple flowers that wind along the branches. The path separates them. And all I can think of when I walk by is West Side Story. They look like they are facing off, don’t they? The photo doesn’t quite capture it, but when I walk by, I half expect them to launch into a song. I leave it you to decide which trees are which group. (Although obviously the apple blossoms are the Sharks and the evergreens are the Jets, but you know, you do you.)
Anyway, that’s all I got for you this week. Life is all right in America, if you’re all-white in America.
Rita Moreno photo credit: Variety
sandradeden.com 
The trees are lovely! That last line is the clincher, Sandra! I’m seeing everything as one side or the other. People who wear masks for other people’s benefit vs. the people with no masks, Palestine & Israel, Democrats vs Republicans…you name it. Maybe we’ll have world peace when the evergreens have little pink and white flowers, and the crab apple tree has boughs!
Thank you! Your writing always gets me to think deeper.
Traci Maia Starkweather
Thanks as always for reading Traci. You’re right, the trees are a good metaphor for the all or nothing approach we often take. The reality is there are lots of trees and plants around! But not in that park! Ha ha! I may have to do a little stealthy pruning to get them to share flowers and boughs!