Today I was walking in the deep woods,

and I stop to catch my breath and looked up at the sun coming town through the canopy,

and I saw the beautiful leaves, in their death throe, looking so fine and alive.

I was drawn to them.

All around me, the leaves were silently letting go, saying goodbye,

twirling and floating silently,

and in prayer,

down to the ground.

And then, two leaves, as if greeting me,

release and spiral down in their wild and circular farewell.

A salute, I think, wishfully, to a friend. To me.

I wonder if they say goodbye to the tree, or if the tree says goodbye to them.

I think they both must say farewell, they have been so close,

so dependent on one another for months, half of a year.

Each keeps the other alive.

The leaves seemed to wait until I am right underneath them to fall,

and I wonder if there is a message for me.

One floats down and lands on my chest,

over my heart.

Deep in my chest, my broken heart trembles with fatigue,

I suddenly shiver up and down my spine.

I am in awe of the way leaves die,

in such a graceful and beautiful way,

floating down to the earth to make their soft bed,

and dissolve slowly into the earth,

I wish to die that way, just like them.

My heart is decaying too, I whisper to the leaves,

just as yours does,

that is the way all humans die.

I imagine that people sometimes could die the way that leaves do,

spiraling down so gracefully rather than hanging on beyond color and life,

but now, are kept alive,

long past the possibility of grace or meaning.

If only they let us alone to die.

I sometimes feel the substance in me floating away, very slowly.

I think the leaves are reminding me to die well and thoughtfully,

you can be beautiful too,

they sing.

I think they choose their time.

I hope to choose mine.

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NOTE: This photograph is for sale. See the Photos For Sale Gallery. Or e-mail Maria at [email protected]