Wintergreen

Striped Wintergreen
Striped Prince’s Pine, or even
Spotted Pippsissewa

Call it what you will, but
There it was

Three leaves
just three

Visible above the
Oak, Maple, and Hickory brown
of the January forest floor

Was it through their effort
or that of an Invisible Hand
Brushing away the detritus
That I saw them that afternoon?

I didn’t know
and I didn’t think to ask
As I walked away

Leaving them to their task