The Once Green Leaf

The summer sun reflects off the green leaf, The radiating glint highlighting how beautiful it can be, The tree strong, alive, and well, The leaves wait patiently with many stories to tell, The summer sun fades and the clouds prance in, The tree knows, fall will soon begin, The summer warmth is cut by an autumn breeze, The tree knows, the ground will soon freeze, The once green leaf, has grown up and seen the world go by, The once green leaf, now a fiery red, deserves a glance from every eye, We see beauty in the fall color, But, the green leaf is fading away, The once radiant glint, cast astray, The vibrant red and sunset orange become frail, The tree knows, the once green leaf will not prevail, But was the goal of the leaf to last forever? Was it to never dwindle and be vibrant everlasting? Or was it to bring a smile to every face that passed by? To display beauty not one eye can deny, The old leaf has seen the world run its course, The old leaf has become wise, Papa, I’m thinking of you now, You were once a green leaf, with that same glint in your eye, Time moved, time flew on by, I remember sitting on the porch talking, just us two, Papa, one day, I want to be like you, Your leaf dimmed from green to red, The ground is getting cold, I fear, Papa, your time is coming near, You brought a smile to every face, A smile that no amount of time can erase, I realize now, the goal of the leaf is not to live forever, It is to inspire those who look upon it, When the green that lights up the forest begins to fade, Embrace it, love the change, When the warm orange that provides comfort appears, Embrace it, love the change, And when that orange withers and the dry brown arrives, Embrace it, love the change, Papa, even though your leaf may fall down, I aspire to be like you when my leaf turns brown,