The leaves fell slowly, at first.
So slowly, it was hard to tell what was happening.
I only knew they had fallen because every time I looked back, the branches were a little more barren.
Over time, though, so many had come to litter the ground that they practically paved the walkway.
Once strong, vibrant, and reaching, these fragile ornaments were left shattering beneath clumsy shoes,
The remains blowing away in the slightest breeze.
It was then, when you turned your head away from my lips,
That I saw the last leaf flutter from an empty branch and wait for the step that would turn it to wind.
Is it dead now, or just resting for the season?
I’ll wait until tomorrow and see….
I can’t remember what it looked like when the branches nourished all the leaves.
CaliStray 