Kay Wade
Competition
In a quiet cove on the west side of Lake Jocassee, one brilliant yellow paw-paw tree glows in light of autumn sun shining through its leaves. We sit in awe. Surely, this is the most beautiful tree in the Jocassee Gorges. We putter on, across Devils Fork and around Fisher Knob Mountain, and the same sun illuminates a brilliant red maple in the far distance. The closer we come, the more magnificent it appears, until we are sure – some of us – that this is the most beautiful tree in the Jocassee Gorges. We argue. Red vs yellow. Meanwhile, we drift by splendid burgundy black gums and golden hickories and birches, and multi-color sweet gums and maples. Human folly, this focus on the few instead of the many. In a few short weeks these trees will fade and drop their leaves, and we will forget how we argued over which was more beautiful. ~K