Carry Me Along

A fall leaf,
divine in colors, changing with seasons:
chartreuse to topaz,
topaz to persimmon,
persimmon to crimson.

Clinging to my home, a sweet maple tree.
The calmingly-warm Wind’s blow,
knocking me around.
Father time pushes,
“I am leaving, hurry up! Why are you so slow?”
Mother Nature caresses,
“It’s okay little one, you can let go.”

So my stem, unwillingly, detaches itself.
Now I am independently blowing, gracefully falling,
falling to my fate.

But wait! I am raised up again,
The crispy, but refreshing, Breeze cradles me, I float.
The mighty Wind, then, whirls me around like
a Shepherd herding his sheep:
forces them to retreat this way and that, confusing them,
but they still follow his lead.

I finally reach the ground, stuttering to a halt.
I observe the world around: so big, so intimidating.
I am scared, but that’s okay.
I will learn to be tough, to stay strong.

I will be lifted again,
the Wind, my foundation, will carry me along,
whispering to me:
“Believe in me, I will take care of you
for always and forever."