The front yard of the Capitol Hill row house was graced only by a cherry tree, its trunk twisted by time. A hand-stenciled sign planted beside the tree read, We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was February 2017. The new presidency was in full swing; I felt unmoored, like I had been cast into an alternate reality. Pausing, I considered how deeply I wanted King’s sentiment to take root in our collective conscience. I studied the cherry, thick with growth. Among the crowded branches I counted six nests.
Amanda Gibson lives and writes in Annapolis. She spends as much time as possible outdoors and always chooses a sunny spot.