The first leaf
It quietly flutters towards the damp ground,
Slowly tossing and turning in the air,
Newly revealed colour flashes in the dullness,
Giving the tree its final farewell flare.
The first falling leaf after the summer feed,
Photosynthesis using the summer sun,
But now in the fading light of early autumn,
The shedding of the canopy has begun.
The last orders bell is ringing in the frosts,
Harvesters are collecting winter supplies,
Birds and beasts are bustling to build up,
Reserves that’ll last till the spring sunrise.
As the first leaf twists off its solid base above,
The breeze cradles the end of its height,
Fighting the overwhelming force of gravity,
Taking it from its place in the warm light.
On the way down past the life giving branches,
It slices through a cobweb with ease,
Gaining streamers that flutter above the leaf,
As it goes past the trunks of the trees.
As it lands gently on the cool slumbering floor,
It stands out brightly beyond belief,
Luminous shard of autumn colour lying there,
The final resting place of the first leaf.
Part Dalek 