He looks carefully,
Tenderly,
At small new shoots.
He observes their frail stalks
As they blithely emerge from the dark earth.
The rough ground of his face
And unruly fronds of his eyebrows
Betray the days and years and decades
Gleaning and gathering what he knows.
He considers how best to help
These fragile newcomers
As they take their place in our dangerous world.