The Life of a Leaf
By Brent Johnson, Clam Gulch
The life of a leaf
is ever so brief
it spans, maybe half a year.
Yellow might be
pretty to see
if you don’t mind winter, so near.
Whitman was crass
in Leaves of Grass,
an 1855 dandy.
Like Whitman I’m drawn
to a leafy lawn
—sheer nose and eye candy!
In a color mill
of chlorophyll;
leaves are green energy refined.
Sustenance flows
and downward it goes,
trunk, roots and branches entwined.
Farewell to leaves!
though my heart grieves,
I’ll muster courage, if I must.
And may we together
best the weather
until we too, are nothing but dust.
