A man and his trees

On his front lawn he has two maples and a birch from Vermont dug up and taken back with their own home soil around them and put in his yard by him tucking the soil around the roots until they could uphold themselves. They've grown big by now. He said it was his hands that did it: Trees know the feel of hands better than people do. Often enough he had known these trees when they were still wild and choked with shadows, his hand on a branch holding him safe as he went side-footed down the hill, so he thought he'd give back the favor and have them in some open space. They like it here, he can tell. Sometimes at night when trees are in shadow anyway he goes out and puts a hand on one. He thinks it's Vermont and the trees are no different.