Leaves

In nature symmetry is rare, each unique, just one The tiniest flaw, an imperfection, casts difference No line is straight, no ground flat, no shape copied And so with wonder I watch the trees, their splendor Majestic, wreathed in history knowing that as old as they are Each year they bear leaves, every one with broken mold Ground beneath a carpet, evidence of this clothing shed Passing season upon season, change upon change As every single leaf dropped dissolves to sink to roots Absorbed to life once more, a nurture cycle fed As shoot becomes shape, become leaf once more Each to its own, a model of one, a pure design And in the end, after time dictates, they fall once more In countless number, a myriad not copied To complete the flow from end to end, birth to death And as I watch this stage of life, this theater My thoughts turn to us, each the same as leaves Our span of time is different, yet the journey not In life from start to stop, we match this cyclic dance Each flawed, a natures gift, yet born a marvelous thing We are our own, no compare, a single one It seems to me as I watch the trees, enjoy the play That I can understand this script, this role I am content to be as one, unique 2021