…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 unfettered 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