Up in a Tree

There are some days it seems
The only way to stay cool is to actually get into
The shade of a tree

(sitting on one of the lower branches of a tall oak
swinging my legs back and forth with a
a stick of celery hanging out the corner of my mouth)

Even though most of the people who walk past below
Must know I am here
I like to retreat into the leaves and
Pretend no one could ever find me

It's a perfect vantage point for people-watching

I say it relieves stress
But probably it’s more a release of my twitchy,
Nervous energy
I have it in excess, I confess

The game is simple:
People come, people go
But the action is not important
It’s the people, you see
I make up stories
-- no, don’t laugh!
I make up stories about them, who they are, what they do
What they want
(sometimes I believe them --
this can get a bit sketchy
when the person walking by
is you)