POEM - Falling With Style

Walk one early morning
On purpose
Against a slight chilled breeze
Pushing through the tree lined path
Hemming the edge of the ancient canal
The playful winds
Fluttering the slow moving water
Making nervous rippling regiments
Swirling across the murky surface
Like flocks of migrating finches
In ever evolving patterns
Another breeze rushing past
Shivering the dense trees
Releasing leaves here and there
A shinning distraction
Capturing my imagination
Dulling the intermittent piercing cold
The long spear-head leaves
Spin in quick lilting rotation
Floating silently in a gentle ballet
Flashing each side
Light to dark quickly entrancing

The next rush releases another resident
Of an altogether different nature
From some almighty oak
A massive leaf
Broad and substantial
Tumbles through the thin air
Like a fat man taking a tumble
As if gravity just got too tired
Supporting his impressive and generous girth
I watch the ungraceful descent
Fully expecting the ground to tremble
With the forceful impact
As this succulent giant
Drops clumsily and quickly
Forsaking the graceful dance
Of it's more aerodynamic neighbors
In favor of a chaotic journey
I've met these types before
More concerned with the obligatory destination
Then the joyful journey
Ironic I should think this
As a grudgingly return to my trek
But I have paused
Noticed the flowers
Seen the fall of a leaf
And noticed
Spun the thoughts in my mind
Letting them mix and twirl
And land softly to take root
Memory of the sweet lesson
Quelling the bitter task