Thursday, November 02, 2006

Down the Drain

The drive into my office park is lined with maple trees. In the fall their lush deep green leaves turn vibrant gold, and stay in their painted glory until the first hard frost.

Last night was our first hard frost, and as the morning sun warmed the world, the maple leaves loosened from their branches and rained down in a golden veil. By 9 am the trees were all but bare. There was a brisk breeze blowing the newly freed leaves, leading them in a dance.

As I paused from my work, I looked out the window and my eyes fell on one particular leaf. No special reason - it was one in a crowd of leaves and looked like any other leaf out there - but I found myself watching it above all. It separated from the others, swirled, lifted and lowered, and then tumbled from the grass and on to the pavement. I watched it scoot and flit across the asphalt. It floated along gracefully until it reached the storm drain - and there it fell in, like a quarter in a piggy bank. Just like that.

I feel like the same thing happens to me sometimes, little leaf. Is that why I just happened to see you?

14 comments:

Martie said...

I enjoued reading this and the descriptive way you wrote about the movement of the leaf and how you can relate to it! Creativity is awakening again... ;)

Bainwen Gilrana said...

Luke 12:6-7
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Nelly said...

I wish I could be as creative as you about a simple leaf. I think I would sound fake if I tried it. I guess I'm just not a deep thinker. Great post clewy!

Nelly said...

you don't mind that I call you clewy do you? ;)

Michelle said...

Bittersweet post sis. I enjoyed the way you described the carefree movements of the little leaf and then how you related the abrupt absense of it to ways you've felt along your path. Just remember, no matter how far we get blown off our path, we'll always end up at the destination we were supposed to. Hugs.

poet said...

i really liked reading this post. i will echo the above mentioned...
have a good sunday, and take care of you.
poet

Mike Duran said...

When was it, exactly, that we all stopped seeing the "little leaf"? I wonder that our lives would be far less complicated if we learned to "see" the lilies and the sparrows more often. Thanks for the thoughtful post.

chesneygirl said...

I was gonna say pretty much the same thing Nelly said. You write amazingly!!
I could never write like this no matter how hard I tried.

Lovely post!!

Bill said...

Clew,

How have you been?

Rebecca said...

You and Naive have such a talent for saying things so beautifully.

Hope you're feeling better little leaf.... ;)

Saur♥Kraut said...

;o) Very true. Sometimes its the tiny little things that impact us, or mean so very much, yet we are unable to communicate their importance to others.

Anonymous said...

I'm saying what everybody else is saying...your writing skills are pretty awesome. Compared to mine, you're like Beethoven...wait..

Hemingway. Yeah.

:) Are you feeling better yet girl?

Sam said...

Cool observation :-)

Ame said...

ditto bainwen gilrana