My Leaf

It has not been the most brilliant fall this year. The weather worked against it. It was hot and dry towards the end of summer. So there were a lot of leaves that didn’t actually turn colors—well, they turned brown, but not the vibrant reds and yellows and oranges and crimsons that sort of takes your breath away. 

Once on an October camping trip we encountered a professional photographer who was simply ranting about the lack of colors, and the crowds, and the way the national parks are being run … I shook my head at this person who was supposed to see and capture beauty who couldn’t see any of it that was right in front of him. I thought it was a much prettier day after this experience. It wasn’t the most spectacular show, but it was still worth seeing. 

So when it appears that the show is not going to be ‘up to par,’ then I try to find other ways to see beauty around me. That’s how I adopted my leaf. 

I don’t remember the day that I first noticed it, but it was soon part of my daily routine. 

It is a simple poplar leaf at the very end of the branch. It hangs down over the edge of the parking lot where I do a lot of my walking. On my twice daily walks I would walk past this tree and take notice of my leaf. 

Sometimes when it was still green and the branch was full of leaves it would brush against my head as I walked under it. I never minded. It was something of a touchstone that reminded me I was outside and able to enjoy it. Several laps around the lot would equal a mile’s walk and it might touch my head five or six times. 

After becoming familiar with my leaf I would reach out and touch it briefly. It was green and soft and flexible. It was alive and so was I. I enjoyed the connection with this particular leaf and this massive poplar tree. It provided shade on the warm days. It provided beauty every day. It became a time piece for me to watch as fall progressed. I knew that my leaf would not be green for much longer. 

There are some brilliant maples in the yard as well. They turned and burned with bright colors that intensified in the sunlight. Again, maybe not as bright as some years, but still enough to catch your attention. Lots of these leaves fell in the recent storms and winds. Some students from the university helped to rake them towards the curb where the city will suck them up into shredders and trucks that will carry them away to use as mulch. 

But this morning my leaf was still turning, still hanging on. The yellow and brown are starting to show more now. 

I also noticed that it no longer brushes my head. As the other leaves have fallen the weight on the branch has reduced. The branch is now raising up as in relief. Now I would have to jump for it to touch my head. I’m not that energetic! I’m walking not working out. 

I touched it again this morning. It’s not brittle, but it is far from supple as it once was. The moisture is leaving and the hard structure will remain. I don’t know if it will turn all the way brown before taking its leave.

 

So fall has been different and dull by some standards. 

But one leaf has caught my attention and helped me focus on the ways that the season can be captured by one simple example. I’ll include some pictures of my leaf so you can see the progression. I doubt that I’ll actually be there when ‘fall’ comes to my leaf. I will know that it has happened and that the season has gone. But it was a better season because of ‘my leaf.’