But the priestly tulip trees still boost her immune system, while beeches lift her mood and focus her thoughts. Under these giants, she’s smarter, clearer. She sees an alligator-barked persimmon. Sweet-gum balls, like tiny, medieval morning stars, crunch under her feet. She tears just the tip of a fallen gum leaf and sniffs—a child’s whiff of heaven. There’s a venerable red oak not far from the trail, twelve feet around if it’s a foot. It might soothe even the awful restlessness the invitation has inflicted on her. Sustainable future. They don’t want a tree woman to keynote their gathering.
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