Treetop

Jesse Doiron

February 2. 2025

I look at what I’ve planted

and see a taller tree,

the way my father did

when he was much like me.

He always had high hopes     

of what might grow to be.

Tree and boy together,

and summer into snow,

so goes a year, another then, 

and many more as slow.

Each day the smaller one  

looked up to say, “I’ll grow.”

Boy and tree together,

and summer into snow,

so goes the year, another then,

as did the others go,

till once again, another now,

looks down to say, “I know.”

Jesse Doiron has worked in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia as an educator and consultant. His teaching experience ranges from English for international business at the UC – Berkeley Extension in San Francisco to creative writing at the Mark Stiles Maximum Security Prison for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.