The book br at the used book store br had a leaf pressed between its pages, br its veins showing; br pressed flat br and brown; br an unwilling bookmark- br the pages of the ages. br br The tree br its mother, br died for those pages br br her offspring br flattened out br upon mother's page breast br tiny lines and squiggles br between the veins; br no tree can read br no leaf can comprehend. br br I take the leaf to give it a proper burial br in the compost heap br so that its remains br have a small chance br of one day br becoming part of a tree. br br I lay its leafy body down br thinking; br 'I think I shall never see br anything a lovely as a tree.' br In years br a bookmark it will make br upon my backyard landscape br marking Nature's Chapter entitled br 'Ironies.' br br br .