Leaves

I’m not sure why every leaf must die

Though, I think it may be to make room for the new beauties

The leaves, they begin as buds as birds chirp, and flowers blossom

Ready to emerge into the great wide world

And they turn green, absorbing the sunlight as children run back into the house

Reaching for cumbersome dollar bills and cool pieces of change

As the ice cream truck rolls by

Then some turn golden

Some set ablaze with hues of red and orange

While grey chipmunks bury their acorns,

Planting the last of what they can before the ground freezes over,

But in the end, in the cruel, cold hours of winter

They all fail the test of time

As the wind sweeps them away, making off with its stolen beauty

And in the spring, as birds once again

Begin to sing their spritely songs again and the flowers blossom into beautiful pastels

The buds will once again arrive and sprout into beauty