A solitary tree with no leaves in a dark outdoor setting, illuminated by a light source, with tall dry grass at its base and a dark background with a faint image of another tree.

Sentinel

Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona

A lone, leafless tree emerges from the shadows like a memory half-remembered, lit by a soft winter sun against the pitch of the canyon wall. Its gnarled limbs and twisted roots speak to endurance—surviving season after season in stillness. The golden grasses at its feet whisper of life even in the quiet months, and the light falls like a benediction.