Ode to a Fallen Leaf

Oh, gentle leaf, you’re released at last,
From summer’s hand, your tether cast.
You fluttered down with golden grace,
A fleeting smile upon your face.
Once green and bright upon the bough,
You basked in the sun, but look at you now.
A tapestry of yellowed, coppery hue,
Autumn’s tender calling, you accepted and knew.
In joy you danced, in April’s gentle rain,
And shimmered brightly through summer’s heat and rain.
You whispered secrets to the hazy breeze,
And rustled softly through towering trees.
You’ll now be greeted by loving Mother Earth,
One chapter closed, another awaiting rebirth.
For in the soil, your withered soul will sleep,
Your promised nourishment, you will keep.
Oh fallen leaf, though your time was brief,
You covered the ground with renewal, and not with grief.
And in your rest, and quite decay,
Your fleeting beauty grants me hope to live another day.

(A Poem by Anthony Wayne Kalberg.)