Full Circle

I am a leaf
And I am young
Green and tender
Dew clings to me as
I cling to my mother

I am a leaf
Fully unfolded, no more a bud
Ready to take up
The responsibility of
Nourishing my mother and sisters

I am a leaf
Dark and wise
Lost in routine
Of day and night
Of fighting rain and embracing light

I am a leaf
And I age gracefully
From a warm golden
To delicious orange
To firebrand leader of the pack-- red.

I am a leaf
And I cling desperately
Though I know it's time to go
It is never easier to leave behind
That, once upon a time, meant everything to me.

I am a leaf
And my heart bursts
When I see
That I am the first to go.
My stem breaks.

* * * *

I was a leaf, and
I'll be one soon
For right now, I'm curled up
Under my mother's root, decaying.
I'll be taken up again
And unfurl once more-- a young, foolish leaf.

-Nicky Eira

18th October, 2008