Roots suckle brittle earth
trunk soulless
its dryad retreated to greener
ethereal realms
scalded leaves whirl away
the tree mourns
hollow
[About the author: Nebula-nominated Beth Cato is the author of the Clockwork Dagger duology and the Blood of Earth trilogy from Harper Voyager. She’s a Hanford, California native transplanted to the Arizona desert, where she lives with her husband, son, and requisite cats. Follow her at BethCato.com and on Twitter at @BethCato.]