It is January 20, 1996 and Jonathan is 16 when he writes this

To the Tree That Lives By the Floodplain
by Jonathan Kraft

I look at you,
and see you are so much like me.
You know you are overshadowed
by your predecessor.
You want to shine,
You want everyone to notice you,
see you, understand you,
and embrace you.
You do not shine, however,
for you are afraid of being shunned.
Not by your predecessor,
but by his following, that lives
on the other side…
Afraid they will shun you, because
they don’t understand you;
not because they can’t,
but because they don’t try.
(to understand)