The Leaf’s Lament

Beneath the oak’s broad shade, I sit, a lone leaf, Torn in silence, wane and fade, As the seasons unfurl their grief. Wind carries me, a quiet sigh, To seek the solace of the sky.

Oh, to whisper to the stars, To long for the sun’s warm embrace, Life’s melody drifts afar, Yet I still linger in my place, Cloaked in the softest green, Yearning for a place unseen.

For as the world spins on, And my edges start to fray, I yearn for just one dawn, To feel the earth’s sweet sway.

— Wole Soyinka

• Wole Soyinka