At the End of the Day, Trees

What is emerging is what was.
A former professor, former

Labor organizer, former
Jazz pianist, former dropout

Turned ethnomusicologist,
Turned college administrator,

Sat at the cafe explaining
Microcredentialing data

Somewhere in southwestern Utah.
The four stages of achievement

Were mastering, accomplishing,
Leveling up, and emerging.

Emerging was euphemistic
For having achieved nothing much.

Keep that in mind, thought someone near.
Emerging is what isn’t here.