Carefully,
        Carefully,

The ride down isn’t as important,
           as its carriage; its demeanor,
and the apparent form of the drift.

And you only get one shot.

One chance for the delicate details of the fall ‘fall’ to come together
 for all to witness the meticulously orchestrated glide from grace.

It’s no wonder the leaves hold on for so long!
 So little time to prepare!

	As soon as the buds form, the silent buzz is in the air
and the push is on
to emerge and grow……
The winter freeze,
 	thawed by the warming sap, which frees the mind-tree, and
energizes the overall design
drafted in detail through the winter months.

The color patterns and intricate veins from ages past
woven into more modern visions
of true color release.

So much to learn and coordinate!
Nowhere on earth, have life forms developed
   a more powerful intuition and composition of color and movement.

Vein patterns, color comparisons,
 and a melding of just the right layers of red and orange and yellow-
twining them instead,
 to more aristocratic maroons and henna, auburn, chestnut or roan.
Some cannot come to consensus 
and the results are sporadic and unyielding to nature’s way—
a lone, guilded yellow branch here
too much crimson there,
		--a rowdy apricot blend in the back
(which is just an embarrassment)
too little green left to balance….

Oh! But when a plan comes together!
Yea! For the thousand amber-patterned leaves
 who have chosen a  little more yellow on the right side.
Yea! For the hundreds of reddened / ocher parts
and yea! And applause! For all the hard work and planning 
which came to fruition in the guise of a golden, tawny, rust—
this season’s newest sensational color!!!

The energy then becomes more focused
 and the vivid color just simply shouts its tones
 for those to hear 
who are attuned to the symphony of nature’s colored tones.
The perfect harmony of color – the choral blend of  half note changes in hues;
building strong and loud to produce enough vibration for the coming dance.

And dance they do,
 with months of choreographed moves, 
and twirls, 
pirouettes and leafy bobs. 
Weeks of lessons and reminders;
each unit able to participate in its own spiraled descent. 

You can see some of them practicing on their petioles…
 twirling and swaying to 
and fro 
in the wind.
The evergreens watch with wonder and awe.
Squirrels quickly rush to each branch, trying to guess which leaf will fall next;

Decisions, decisions,
The traditional slow spiral? The more difficult lazy sway?
 An ambitious dead drop? 
Or a calculated journey 
driven by just the right wind draft 
to send the participant far beyond the protection 
of  maternal boughs.

And the instinct to jump doesn’t come easily for some.
For after the plunge—
no one hears from the leaf again.
Its connection from the collective immediately severed
traveling alone 
and without a way to enlighten the others.

And once down?
The exhilaration of the wind, 
the creativity of the improvisations that must take place
 when the unexpected gusts come from behind.
The unique opportunity to be audacious enough
 to drift beyond the collective’s view
 into sounds and sensations not made or intended for leafy dreams.

Some land quickly and are set upon by others; 
forever hidden amidst the forest floor.
Others tangled by the web of fate,
 are driven onto perfect pedestals for passerby’s to admire or ignore.
The whims of nature are subtly unpredictable. 
Falling is inevitable,  but to where? And when? 
And with what style and grace despite appropriate planning.
And the final destination is as final as the wind is predictable.
 Here, 
then, there, 
then here again;
 
the dance continuing until its time is done
 	and it returns to the earth from which it came.