Druids Rejoice!

All ye Druids gather 'round. Today is a glorious day! The leaves of the ginkgo biloba trees here in the ATL are falling. You may be unaware, but every year the leaves of this majestic tree all fall in a single day. They hold on and hold on then, practically all at once, at some unknown signal, they all let go at the same time.

For the last 11 years, I have walked, run, and driven by a magnificent specimen ginkgo in my neighborhood. And every year I've looked forward to this day. This year, for the first time, I've taken some before and during pics to document the event.

Before:

Today (note the carpeting effect):

The Consent

BY HOWARD NEMEROV

Late in November, on a single night

Not even near to freezing, the ginkgo trees

That stand along the walk drop all their leaves

In one consent, and neither to rain nor to wind

But as though to time alone: the golden and green

Leaves litter the lawn today, that yesterday

Had spread aloft their fluttering fans of light.

 

What signal from the stars? What senses took it in?

What in those wooden motives so decided

To strike their leaves, to down their leaves,

Rebellion or surrender? and if this

Can happen thus, what race shall be exempt?

What use to learn the lessons taught by time.

If a star at any time may tell us: Now.

Howard Nemerov, “The Consent” from The Collected Poems of Howard Nemerov. Copyright © 1977 by Howard Nemerov. Reprinted by permission of Margaret  Nemerov.