Autumn Leaves one by one the autumn leaves, flame tongues touching earth’s marble, fading backpacks loaded with memory, just the whisper of what’s left behind.

there’s a song in the decay, a forgiveness in the crinkled edges, it carries the weight of the old between gaps of laughter and pain, aching in the tone of farewell.

the ground gathers spirits, a place to rest, its rich smells adding to the history, a golden pile of days, a simple recognition, yet this is the heart of life, directions expanded within.

Anne Waldman

• Anne Waldman