Gaps in the Gums

Thirty years ago there was a golden sun
Whose light fed a pear tree
And in the summer the pears would sag the tree's arms
They'd fall and in a circle around the leg-thick trunk
Small bundles of yellowjackets would gather so
You would be careful where you stepped
When the sun was gentle

Swinging around onto the dirt path that is now asphalt
Walking east on small barefeet not fifteen yards
There would still be a hulking tree
Whose hands reached low enough for a small boy
To take them and lift his light frame easily
And take him on his shoulders and not feel the weight
From where the boy could jump 
And feel a moment of breathtaking thrill

Then continuing on another ten yards across soft grass
Another strong and gentle titan then rose from where
Each turning of the sky he would still lay softly 
A blanket of orange leaves delicate as ash across the grass
Back when you could set your watch to a chill