A Leaf, A Life

Like a tree spooked,
A country wavers with disbelief.

Leaves rendered cautious
By their own daily cycle of whispers,
Fearful of rustling,
Too early for celebration,
Too precarious,
Bewitched by the upcoming
Sunrises and sunsets
Of the season’s cold reality.

So, it is…

Leaves like people in transition,
Face cyclic preparation,
Make noises full of misgivings,
Like dull bloody razor blades
Being shuffled into a Blackjack game of chance.

Then again…

The temporary quiet
Similar to birds aware of danger,
Too terror-stricken
To make a commitment,
They,
We,
Know
To not take flight and be who we are
Is accepting defeat.

Like leaf to leaf,
Conscious being to conscious being,
The wind of time seeks out resolve
From the apparition
Of storm.
Struggling to be not merely mulch,
But to stay the course,
Unwavering until the end.

A near-bare twig
But with a single leaf
Like a single vote
Stays true to its cause.

Courage versus acquiescence
For a continuance of our tomorrows.