Petals fall, a silent rain, turning pathways, softer than whispers, each one a farewell. In the garden, pinks and yellows, vibrant, alive, a riot of life, delicate and bold, a dance of color under the watchful eye of the sun.

Yet even here, the breeze carries stories untold, secrets shared only with the flowers, who nod in time, aware of the passing of moments, of lives.

How wondrous, this fragile balance, a brief pause in the midst of chaos, a soft sigh of existence.

Let me gather the petals as they fall, reminders of beauty and loss, a mind splattered like paint on a canvas of dirt. There lies nature’s heart, in every crumple, a promise fulfilled.

• Alice Toklas