Leaves, Trees, Sycamore Bark

I don’t understand that.
Not the pinching.
Not the rising.

The sycamore has
bark so hard that
it cannot stretch
with the growing tree
so it peels off.
The bark underneath
looks smooth and pink
and fresh, but I’ve
run my palm over it
and the cracks are
already there.
I mulched the leaves
and swept up the
flakes curled along
the sidewalk and I
sat on the short steps
in the inevitable evening
where I am also
letting summer go.

Photo used under CC.