after reading naomi shihab nye

i pause to think.
she moves on, frustrated, decided,
conclusively, mind churning onward.

a mind like leaves sometimes, facing
reaching           upward and outward
drawing the sunlight in
perceptions processed from rich surroundings
too multifaceted to be focused on
excluding others.

thought waves wander back to a human station,
static and confusion
and now i need to catch up.

why was she frustrated? what did
she Really try to ask? where'd she go?
what have i already done wrong?

is a pause such a crime these days,
even after a question?
maybe it      ought    to be a time for trees
for gathering, processing
contemplating
but slowly

because roots can't move that fast.