My kids call him Henry
the little sapling
that stands a foot high
on our forest path
he is mostly stick
with a few green wisps
of hope
and even though they measured him
this year and last
they don’t seem to notice
that he hasn’t grown at all
yesterday they gave him
a maple leaf for a hat
and ferns for shoes
like a pitiable summer version
of a snowman
and they hug him so gently
every time we pass him
leaning way down
and telling him
you’ll be big one day
that as I walked by him today
on my own
and I saw that one
of his flimsy arms
had snapped
I tied it upright
with a piece of grass
and found myself
whispering to him
you’ll be just fine.