The Difference

"Please explain a tree,"

I ask, and before

The natural silence of pondering, 

The chirping of thought as woven melodies,

The rotation of gears churning into place,

AI answers: 

“A tree is a tall perennial plant with a single stem or trunk, supporting branches and leaves.”

And yet, with a pause, a friend said:

“A friend . . .” 

another pause.

“Good for hugging when no one else will.”

“What about a sunset?”

I ask, and before 

The natural silence of pondering, 

The chirping of thought as woven melodies,

The rotation of gears churning into place,

AI answers: 

“A sunset is a beautiful and colorful sky that appears when the sun disappears below the horizon.”

And yet, with a pause, a friend said:

“The fiery passion . . ."

Another pause.

"At the end of a time.”

“What makes a wildflower?”

I ask, and before the natural silence of pondering, 

The chirping of thought as woven melodies,

The rotation of gears churning into place,

AI answers: 

“Wildflowers are native flowers that grow without human cultivation in a specific region or ecosystem.”

And yet, with a pause, a friend said:

"Hidden in the shadows, 

In the crevices between mountain stones,

In the gaps between blades of grass,

In the falls between flowing waters,

Free to express themselves."

And that was all I needed

To fall in love.