The naked tree

There is one particular tree on my way to work that stands out this time of year. It's a perfectly shaped maple that stands alone on a grassy triangle next to the highway. It always has great color, usually bright orange mixed with a tint of red. When it starts losing the leaves, it always does so from the top down. I think of it as a woman seductivly taking her dress off, a little at a time. First she lets the shoulders slip, then a little more.... until she's bare for the world to see. The only problem is, once she's uncovered, she's nothing but sticks and twigs; much like some of those anorexic celebrities !