Thursday, March 8, 2007

little leaf falling

The little leaf was holding onto its branch with careful focus. It had seen the other leaves fall and was afraid of what might happen if it, too, fell from the only home it had ever known. A light breeze touched it’s underside, causing it to quiver and shake with laughter. That little breeze was giving the leaf a view of rooftops it had not often seen in the days of very leafy branches. It was struck by how the sky seemed to touch the rooftops at the same time as it seemed so distant and aloof.

Just then, the breeze became full grown wind, The little leaf, lost momentarily in contemplation, had lost its focus on the branch it called home and suddenly found itself floating through the air. A pleasant and terrifying sensation, indeed! Quicker than it had anticipated, the little leaf hit the ground.

All was quiet. All was calm. The little leaf seemed to be coming to in a strange and wonderful place. The tiny leaf wondered if this was the end of life. The stillness of the ground was unsettling to the leaf. Fear began to rise when another breeze flipped it onto its back. Awestruck, the leaf concluded it must have landed in some sort of leaf after-life, a lush green paradise. Huskier leaves shaded the tiny leaf and the air was warm and moist. From the quiet, new sounds began to emerge. People were talking. Squirrels were running by. Yet, the green paradise quietly surrounded the little leaf, muffling the external sounds. The leaf noticed it could still see the sky, but not the rooftops. Somehow, it didn’t seem any further away than before.

Suddenly, the little leaf became aware that it was existing in a world without a branch. Nothing to cling to. Nothing to hold it steady. Surprisingly, it wasn’t nearly as scary as it had imagined. Something whizzed by with speed. A bicycle? A squirrel? Whatever it was, the little leaf was carried into the air on its wake. For a moment, it caught site of its old branch and was amazed to find it attached to an enormous tree trunk. As it sailed back to the ground, the lush, green world was becoming familiar and homey. The leaf felt fickle, feeling to at home, so quickly. So, the next time it was picked up on the wind, it honored its old branch home, promising to return with stories of the new world.

Just as little leaf was getting settled in, a gust of wind blew it onto a path, and it couldn’t stop tumbling along. It quivered and shook with laughter at the feeling. It was reminded of windy days on the branch and realized its companion, the wind, was still close at hand, just as the sky. Having not one but two friends made the little leaf feel more bold and adventurous. As it tumbled along, it no longer worried about what was to come and instead, thought of the stories it might return to share with the branch, the green heaven, and the tree trunk. And whatever details it missed, the sky and wind would be able to fill in.

Written by Angela Booker
Submitted on 28 February 2007

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