"Like A Leaf"

They say that our bodies
   will inevitably lurch toward an uncertain future
   of cancer, stroke, and heart disease.

Like a leaf . . .

They say that childhood afflictions
   never forget,
   but slyly nap.
Waiting for
   the right Weekend Warrior Moment,
   the right fight with our partner,
   or the final food folly
   to wreak their havoc.

Like a leaf . . .

They say that our Stamina forever fades
   like our memory,
   our sense of anticipation,
   and our gift of instigation.
Soon that very three-syllable word
   that starts with “s” and ends with “ah”
   will be virtually un Pro nounce Able.

Like a leaf . . .

They say that retirement is
   "just around the corner,”
And should be our preoccupation,
   our Heart’s Desire,
   and the culmination of a
Life Well Lived.

Like a leaf . . .

Yet,
I must confess
   to have found a different ferris wheel
   to glide on,
For I have
   turned a new leaf.

What was once merely
   thought-provoking art
   is now a permanently etched impression,
A deeply moving, undeniably resonant event
   that takes
   days to appreciate,
   weeks to fully integrate,
   and years to assimilate.

As porous as a leaf . . .

What was once merely
   a curiosity of nature,
   in Nature,
   is now a veritable one-act play,
Like a hummingbird
   hovering in place.
Still,
   directly in front of me,
   scanning my presence.

As beautiful as a leaf . . .

What was once mentioned
   in an obscure radio show
   is now fair game for
Irreverent Ex trap O lation.
Possible titles for songs
   that could send any dictionary
Weeping.
No longer certain of its heritage,
   its sense of purpose,
   its very belief in epistemology!

As knowing as a leaf . . .

And what was Once,
   is now irrefutably
   and omnipresently
Always.
And as worthy as a leaf
   gliding to its final resting place.             

 

July 2022

back

©2022, Michael Smolens