…in the falling

Autumn leaves
are restlessly shifting
trembling in unison
slow dancing like flames
in the harsh winds
of the season
until finally detached
from their weeping trees
they circle each other
falling in slow motion
towards the ground
whispering their secrets
to the watching sky

as they delicately descend
in perfectly executed
pirouettes
I ponder their connection
their steadfast commitment
to each other
as I stand here alone
under an ever shifting canopy
in this desolate place
where we once wandered
our footprints
now erased by time

now just as the leaves
have chosen their path
I heed the call of the season
I surrender to my sorrow
the internal, eternal ache
to feel once more
the joy of falling
despite my broken heart
my soul laid bare
over and over
I crave your distant echoes
and the flames
that you ignite

my hand outstretched
I catch a leaf in its descent
feather light and fragile
still clinging
to the moment
a poignant mirror of loss
for we too once fell together
in a slow quiet embrace
our unspoken promises
now lost upon the wind
yet grace can still be found
in the falling
© Ann Bagnall