The life of a leaf is not
so different than a man's,
its budding beginning,
its expectant future,
its enjoyable present,
the focus and the nurture of the tree.
Sweet youth, succulent youth
becomes a leaf just like all the other leaves -
green.
Wanting the focus of eyes
not realizing that
when the world sees the tree
it looks on waves of green leaves
but not on the leaf, the one leaf,
that is just like all the other leaves -
green.
For a season it stays green
until the color comes,
the announcement of an individual among individuals
heralding that a new season has arrived
and death will be knocking
soon - but not yet.
The color moves through it,
the gradual gain of the uniqueness it wanted,
the gradual loss of the lifeblood
that kept it just like all the other leaves -
green.