Autumn’s breezes mark the transition from hot nights to frosty mornings. When the leaves leave and fall to the ground.
Whether drifting down and nestling in the grass or dancing over pavement like pinwheels, leaves are seeking somewhere new to rest.
Some leaves take flight in the early days of autumn, while others hang on through winter only giving up their attachment when Spring’s buds arrive to take their place.
From the star-shaped leaves of a Sweet Gum to round-lobed Oaks to the skillet-sized leaves of a stately Sycamore, some are content to quietly welcome winter while others put on a colorful show before they go.
While all are green in the summer months, come autumn many dip their fingers into different colors of the palette and paint the sky with all shades of red and gold.
Watch in the still moments, as a single leaf lets go and gently floats to the ground. Then watch again as blustery winds shake the branches and leaves descend in a mass exodus.
We work hard to tidy up as leaves are bagged, burned, chopped, or composted. In an endless cycle they all return to Mother Earth in spirit and form.
What remains is the stark, seemingly empty landscape dulling our senses in Winter. And then in Spring, a new season of sights, smells, and sounds return, helping us remember why the leaves leave.
Phillip G. Anderson
November 2021
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